Fertility And Pregnancy Planning Amidst In The Covid-19 Pandemic.

Around the globe, many leading organizations in the field of obstetrics and infertility including ASRM, CDC, and Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, recommend that women may proceed with fertility treatments as well as vaccination with utmost care and safety during the Covid-19 pandemic. Around  90,000 pregnant women have been vaccinated  in the United States so far, and reassuringly, no cases of disproportionate reactions have been reported.

Women’s health organizations in India, and FOGSI (Federation of Obstetricians and Gynaecologist’s Society), also suggest the same. Couples who presently undergo or who plan fertility treatments such as IVF, IUI, or Egg Freezing need not postpone their treatments in fear of Covid-19, or hesitate to try even after vaccination. It is already made clear that hormone injections, sedation, or short anaesthesia, which are used at times during IVF, do not cause any adverse effects in healthy women.

However, studies have shown that any viral infections which cause high fever may reduce the number of oocytes obtained in that IVF cycle. Also, when the woman’s safety becomes the priority, high fever and unstable health conditions may lead to the cancellation of the current cycle of the fertility treatment.

Prioritising Safety and Hygiene.

We, at Hegde Fertility, are working with full Covid-19 precautions and follow all disinfection and virus-testing protocols. Fertility specialists around the globe advise women who plan treatments to take all the necessary self-care and precautions irrespective of their vaccination status. The common and mandatory recommendations for safety precautions include:

• Wearing a face-mask at all times.
• Maintaining adequate physical distance.
• Avoid touching door knobs, elevator buttons, and such potentially infectious surfaces.
• Avoiding unnecessary outings, travels and other social gatherings.
• Avoiding exposure to infected family members, or friends.
• Following proper cleaning and disinfection practices at home. Ideally, family members are also advised to follow the same precautionary measures as the treatment-seeking women, and practice adequate care even after vaccination.

Unfortunately, new strains are cropping up around the world, and it’s not over till it’s all over. Similar precautions and strict observance of the same are applied to women once they get conceived as well, more so, because the effects of coronavirus on pregnancy and on babies are still uncertain. What is already known is that the infected and the sick are more likely to deliver prematurely. So far, in pregnant women, no problems have been linked to babies born after Covid-19 infection.

Although parenthood is one of the most cherished experiences the life has to offer, today’s fast-paced life with increased stress, anxiety, and depression has also ensured an increase in infertility. Good lifestyle choices such as better diet, regular exercise, and better sleep, help us to maintain a good general health. As we observe the 21st of June as Yoga Day, it is time for us to return to our roots and boost our overall wellbeing by embracing Yoga.

Yoga To Enhance Fertility.

Yoga poses or asanas are said to be effective for better relaxation with stress-relief benefits. In addition to boosting-up our inner spirit, and encouraging and nurturing a positive outlook, Yoga is said to improve the fertility rate and the chances of conceiving. Yoga asanas do this by stimulating the ovaries and uterus, and also by encouraging better blood flow and supply to the reproductive organs. Practicing Yoga strengthens and stretches the body too.

Vaccination During Pregnancy.

Pregnant women are being vaccinated in different parts of the world with the locally available vaccines, and no side effects have been reported so far. None of the presently available vaccines against Covid-19 contain live viruses that are not recommended during pregnancy. The available vaccines are either mRNA vaccines or viral vector vaccines that only generate an immune response. As an analogy, some of them are like the Ebola vaccine, which are being used in pregnant women and are proven safe.

However, there are chances of mild side effects after vaccination and the possible ones include allergic reactions, local infections, or minor/rarely significant side effects such as blood clot formation. All of these are individual-specific and can rarely cause any problems. Even then, the observed incidences are relatively low, only less than a thousand per all the 100 million doses given so far in India. A live-virus vaccine is being studied – the A50-18. But is not yet approved or is available anywhere. However, this would be unsuitable for pregnant women, as are all live vaccines. So we need not concern ourselves with this at this point. For the general population, no vaccine is better or superior or safe than any other at this point, and the proclamation is, “the available vaccine is the recommended one.”

India has not released any recommendations for addressing the vaccination against Covid-19 in pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and children. This status is not permanent, but a safety precaution and may change anytime with the availability of new data. Since mutant strains of the virus do not behave the same way they could affect hitherto unaffected age groups and populations.

Hence, we cannot rely on past data and assume that pregnant women and children will always be safe from this deadly infection. However, rapidly immunising a larger population will confer herd immunity. This will reduce the burden on healthcare facilities, avoid surprises, and a possible third and fourth waves. FOGSI has released a statement clarifying their position on the safety of vaccination in pregnant women.

However, the Health Ministry’s guidance is awaited as there is a scarcity of data today to analyse the safety of immunization in pregnant women with the currently available vaccines. In the case of the general population, vaccination against Covid-19 has been linked to a significant reduction in severe infection and the mortality rate. It appears pretty safe.

The experts at Hegde Fertility suggest couples to talk to their fertility specialists for updated advice and recommendations on vaccination guidelines and to proceed with the mass vaccination program at the right time. Hopefully, things would settle down, and life would go back to normal by the end of this year.

Hegde Fertility has gone the extra mile to ensure the safety of our patients. The management takes great pride in ensuring that all our branches are Covid Free Zones. We have created a very secure and safe space in and around our facilities by strictly adhering to the following safety measures:

• Mandatory N-95 mask for all our staffs.
• Air Purifiers & Corona Guard are installed for all extended waiting areas.
• Protocols are set and strictly observed to ensure suitable social distancing.
• Seamless Teleconsultation & Chat Facility to ensure fewer visits to the centre.
• All branches are regularly and periodically sanitised and disinfected.
• Fully vaccinated members in every team.
• All patients are requested to wear well-fitted masks at all times, and encouraged to do regular hand sanitizing.

Stay safe. Stay blessed.