Obstetrics and Gynecology, we may be familiar or have heard that it is an agency related to pregnancy and childbirth. But in fact, Obstetrics and Gynecology is a department that takes care of women’s issues, not just health issues, but also other issues related to women in many ways. Now, the admin will take us to understand the work process that is directly related to all women and is something that men should know as well.
Obstetrics and gynecology work during the COVID-19 crisis. Everyone must have wondered how pregnant mothers will give birth during this social distancing campaign. Will they get to see their babies after giving birth? If the mother gets COVID, will the baby in her womb get it too? And the popular question is, can pregnant women get vaccinated?
Today, we will come to understand these matters by Asst. Prof. Dr. Kritsada Mairiang, Obstetrician-Gynecologist and Assistant Deputy Director of Administration of Thammasat University Hospital, who will be the one to answer all questions that we are curious about so that we can understand clearly.
What is Obstetrics and Gynecology?
Within Thammasat University Hospital, Obstetrics and Gynecology is the department that takes care of women’s issues, from health, illnesses that occur to women, including pregnancy care and childbirth, which are considered very sensitive matters. Because in addition to taking care of the mother’s life, it also has to take care of the baby in the womb.
Obstetrics and gynecology work during the COVID-19 crisis
“A delivery room that looks like an emergency room”
The doctor revealed that in every delivery process, everything is considered an emergency. Because if it were another department, there would still be an opportunity to set a date and prepare for the surgery. Therefore, it is possible to test the personnel and patients for infection before the surgery. But delivery is something that cannot be scheduled. We cannot know in advance which mothers will give birth when. We have to screen patients and personnel according to risk instead. For example, have they been to a risk area? Is there a chance of being in close contact with a risk group?
“If not, then it’s okay. If it is, then at least we’ve saved our personnel.”
Because in an emergency, waiting for COVID-19 test results, which take several hours, is unbearable. If a patient meets the criteria for being in close contact with a high-risk group or has been to a high-risk area, they will undergo the delivery process as if they were infected immediately. All personnel will wear PPE and patients must wear a Facebook shield at all times.
Pregnant and infected with COVID-19
The doctor revealed that Thammasat University Hospital has methods of care according to the situation and factors that occur. There are checks on temperature, breathing, or oxygen levels as usual. But there will be more conversations and questions about symptoms than usual. And all personnel will wear PPE suits to check the mother’s body at all times. Pregnant women have weak bodies and low immunity, making them more likely to have pneumonia than normal people who are infected.
“The chance of a fetus getting infected from a mother with COVID-19 is less than 3%.”
Working here allows the doctor to see the motherhood clearly because the question most mothers ask is, “Will the baby get infected too?” Since many mothers inevitably get infected, they feel guilty and cannot help but worry about their unborn child. However, from the studies and the actual situation up until now, the doctor confirms that the case of a baby getting infected with COVID-19 from a mother who got infected while pregnant is less than 3% of all cases.
“Most of the time, babies get it from their mothers after birth.”
Although the rate of mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy is low, it is very difficult to prevent the baby from getting infected from the mother once birth. Therefore, the hospital chooses to separate the baby from the mother immediately after birth until the mother recovers to prevent the mother-to-child transmission.
Problems caused by separation of children from their mothers
The mother’s condition when her baby is separated immediately after birth, not even able to hug or breastfeed by herself, causes most mothers to face severe physical and mental problems.
Physical problems, whether it’s a cesarean section wound that may need to be treated at a field hospital instead, being away from a husband and relatives who would normally be able to take care of and encourage her, breast engorgement, a condition where there is a retention of milk, blood or lymph in the breasts because of not breastfeeding, so the breast milk must be pumped out instead, and after giving birth, most women will experience hormonal imbalances, which will affect the mind.
Mental problems Most of you will have 2 major mental problems, which are COVID-19. When will the virus you have go away? Will you infect your baby? Will you die? And so on. Another issue is postpartum depression due to hormonal imbalances and being separated from your baby immediately.
“Some places say that we can stay together but keep our distance, but in practice, it’s hard to do that.”
Some research reports say that infected mothers can stay with their babies. For example, when breastfeeding, mothers should wear masks to prevent the spread of infection from mother to child. In theory, it seems easy, but in practice, it is difficult to breastfeed without infecting the baby. Therefore, Thammasat University Hospital chose to separate the baby from the mother for the safety of both the baby and the mother.
“I am more worried about being separated from my child than I am about getting infected with COVID-19.”
The doctor revealed that it is not every case where the mother is infected but the child is not infected because sometimes young children in our neighborhood run and get infected without the parents at home knowing. But from every case where the child is infected but the mother is not infected, most of the mothers are willing to stay with their children and take care of them without caring whether they are infected or not.
Guidelines for mothers who have not yet been infected with COVID-19
What most mothers wonder is whether pregnant women can get the vaccine or not. Because there has been a lot of news about the side effects of the vaccine, most mothers are worried. The doctor revealed that mothers who are more than 2 weeks pregnant can get the vaccine. And if you know that you are pregnant, you should not go out often. Because the immunity is lower than the general population, it is easy to get infected.
Conclusion
Although the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department is a department specifically for women, men must also know about the procedures and guidelines because we all must help take care of each other as best we can.
Especially in a situation like this, if you have a close relative who is a mother who is infected with COVID-19, don’t forget to give her a lot of encouragement and don’t forget to give encouragement to all medical personnel. They are the frontline who willingly take the risk and hope that…
“This COVID-19 crisis, we will survive together.”
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Follow the story behind the crisis and the actions of medical personnel at Thammasat University Hospital in dealing with the COVID situation in the program Unmask Story, stories behind the masks of medical personnel at Thammasat University Hospital.
Or choose to listen to more information in Podcast format:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7cLW7IpmeBM8iigQsluVuA?si=yfsUpFxRS4Cg6rFZVaR-CA&dl_branch=1
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