Manila Bulletin
Philippines
Mother who gave birth to twins while being COVID-19 positive shares experience
Philippines
Mother who gave birth to twins while being COVID-19 positive shares experience
Mother who gave birth to twins while being COVID-19 positive shares experience
Published Apr 26, 2020 12:00 am
By Joseph Almer Pedrajas
A 25-year-old mother in Navotas City had to go through a complicated situation when she was discovered positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) several days after giving birth to twins through caesarian section.
Health workers of Navotas City Hospital send of Judy Ann Sarabia after recovering from COVID-19. Her newborn twins test negative for the disease. (PHOTO COURTESY OF NAVOTAS PIO/ MANILA BULLETIN)
Judy Ann Sarabia of Barangay North Bay Boulevard-North endured not only the pain of delivery, but also the COVID-19 symptoms she experienced, which included flu symptoms, cough, shortness of breath and loss of taste.
For more than two weeks, she also had to take care of her babies alone. Her family members were not allowed to visit her to lessen the risk of catching or spreading the virus.
"Sobrang hirap talaga, syempre stressed ako eh. Kinabukasan pa lang , gusto na ng pamilya ko na patayuin na ako sa higaan kasi walang mag-aasikaso sa akin," she told the Manila Bulletin, "Pero di ako pinayagan ng doctor hanggang hindi pa lumalabas na negative ang result ko."
(It was really hard because I was stressed. The day after I gave birth, my family already wanted me to be discharged because no one would attend to me. But I wasn’t allowed by the doctor until my negative COVID-19 result would come out)
"Di ako makatulog. Dalawa inaalagan ko. Natakot din ako para sa baby, nag-aalala. Pano pag positive sila?" she added.
(I couldn’t sleep. I was taking care of two babies. I feared for them, concerned. What if they would test positive?)
Sarabia had to keep her twin girls, her first children, in tow. They could not be sent to the nursery.
According to Dra. Christia Padolina, medical director of the Navotas City Hospital (NCH), it was to lessen the risk of exposure of other babies as well as to boost Sarabia’s children’s immunity through breastfeeding.
Day of Delivery
Sarabia had cough and flu when she was rushed to the hospital on April 4 to give birth. However, she was not aware that she was already afflicted with the disease until the result of her swab test, taken on the same day, came out four days later.
Her last travel outside their house was a visit to the ob-gyne on March 10 and none of her family members were showing COVID-19 symptoms. Because of this, she did not think of having the virus at all, she said.
Padolina said, Sarabia might have caught it from her family members, including her husband, a Grab driver, who might have been infected but already recovered without being tested and symptomatic at all.
But health workers of NCH did not take any risks. During her delivery, they were wearing personal protective equipment (PPEs), so the chance that they became infected was low.
"The health care providers always treat them as if they are COVID-19 positive cases. All precautions are taken care of," Padolina told the Manila Bulletin, "Before, health workers were only using scrub suits , but now they are already wearing PPEs."
On April 8, Sarabia's COVID-19 test came out. She turned out positive.
But her twins did not, although they were breastfed by her.
The NCH director explained: "Based on anecdotal report, so far, there is no transplacental transfer of the virus. vertical transmission from the mother to the baby."
Padolina added: "There is also no evidence of the virus going into the breast milk, to the baby.”
For more than two weeks, Sarabia had confronted the isolation, confined inside a room, no one to talk to, save for the babies and the health workers who occasionally checked on her.
After her positive result came out, all people she had close contact with were obliged to undergo strict home quarantine, which means no one could visit her.
She ate on her own, endured the “pain” of the dextrose as part of COVID-19 treatment, and took care of the babies who depended on her for sustenance.
On April 15, she was tested again. Seven days later, she was finally discharged from the hospital after receiving her result, which turned out negative.
"Syempre tuwang tuwa ako kasi makakauwi na kami. Nakakabaliw sa loob ng kwarto na 'yun, wala kang kausap eh," she said after 19 days of confinement. "Worth it naman yung paghihintay."
(I was really happy because we could finally go home. One could almost get crazy inside that room, no one to talk to. It was still worth waiting)
Navotas City Hospital
As of Sunday, the Navotas City Hospital has already sent home six patients after recovering from COVID-19. Most of them are members of vulnerable groups, including the pregnant women and the elderly.
Padolina attributed the hospital's capacity to attend to immunocompromised patients to its quality health care workers.
"There are several factors of course: the first one would be good infection control, two would be all staff are accredited and are properly guided by protocols. Third support group in terms of administration," she said.
Health workers of Navotas City Hospital send of Judy Ann Sarabia after recovering from COVID-19. Her newborn twins test negative for the disease. (PHOTO COURTESY OF NAVOTAS PIO/ MANILA BULLETIN)
Judy Ann Sarabia of Barangay North Bay Boulevard-North endured not only the pain of delivery, but also the COVID-19 symptoms she experienced, which included flu symptoms, cough, shortness of breath and loss of taste.
For more than two weeks, she also had to take care of her babies alone. Her family members were not allowed to visit her to lessen the risk of catching or spreading the virus.
"Sobrang hirap talaga, syempre stressed ako eh. Kinabukasan pa lang , gusto na ng pamilya ko na patayuin na ako sa higaan kasi walang mag-aasikaso sa akin," she told the Manila Bulletin, "Pero di ako pinayagan ng doctor hanggang hindi pa lumalabas na negative ang result ko."
(It was really hard because I was stressed. The day after I gave birth, my family already wanted me to be discharged because no one would attend to me. But I wasn’t allowed by the doctor until my negative COVID-19 result would come out)
"Di ako makatulog. Dalawa inaalagan ko. Natakot din ako para sa baby, nag-aalala. Pano pag positive sila?" she added.
(I couldn’t sleep. I was taking care of two babies. I feared for them, concerned. What if they would test positive?)
Sarabia had to keep her twin girls, her first children, in tow. They could not be sent to the nursery.
According to Dra. Christia Padolina, medical director of the Navotas City Hospital (NCH), it was to lessen the risk of exposure of other babies as well as to boost Sarabia’s children’s immunity through breastfeeding.
Day of Delivery
Sarabia had cough and flu when she was rushed to the hospital on April 4 to give birth. However, she was not aware that she was already afflicted with the disease until the result of her swab test, taken on the same day, came out four days later.
Her last travel outside their house was a visit to the ob-gyne on March 10 and none of her family members were showing COVID-19 symptoms. Because of this, she did not think of having the virus at all, she said.
Padolina said, Sarabia might have caught it from her family members, including her husband, a Grab driver, who might have been infected but already recovered without being tested and symptomatic at all.
But health workers of NCH did not take any risks. During her delivery, they were wearing personal protective equipment (PPEs), so the chance that they became infected was low.
"The health care providers always treat them as if they are COVID-19 positive cases. All precautions are taken care of," Padolina told the Manila Bulletin, "Before, health workers were only using scrub suits , but now they are already wearing PPEs."
On April 8, Sarabia's COVID-19 test came out. She turned out positive.
But her twins did not, although they were breastfed by her.
The NCH director explained: "Based on anecdotal report, so far, there is no transplacental transfer of the virus. vertical transmission from the mother to the baby."
Padolina added: "There is also no evidence of the virus going into the breast milk, to the baby.”
For more than two weeks, Sarabia had confronted the isolation, confined inside a room, no one to talk to, save for the babies and the health workers who occasionally checked on her.
After her positive result came out, all people she had close contact with were obliged to undergo strict home quarantine, which means no one could visit her.
She ate on her own, endured the “pain” of the dextrose as part of COVID-19 treatment, and took care of the babies who depended on her for sustenance.
On April 15, she was tested again. Seven days later, she was finally discharged from the hospital after receiving her result, which turned out negative.
"Syempre tuwang tuwa ako kasi makakauwi na kami. Nakakabaliw sa loob ng kwarto na 'yun, wala kang kausap eh," she said after 19 days of confinement. "Worth it naman yung paghihintay."
(I was really happy because we could finally go home. One could almost get crazy inside that room, no one to talk to. It was still worth waiting)
Navotas City Hospital
As of Sunday, the Navotas City Hospital has already sent home six patients after recovering from COVID-19. Most of them are members of vulnerable groups, including the pregnant women and the elderly.
Padolina attributed the hospital's capacity to attend to immunocompromised patients to its quality health care workers.
"There are several factors of course: the first one would be good infection control, two would be all staff are accredited and are properly guided by protocols. Third support group in terms of administration," she said.