Health News

3-Week Old Baby Treated and Recovers From COVID-19

Monday, June 1, 2020 By Letty Condon

In Houston, Texas, a 3-week old baby boy with COVID-19 was taken to hospital with breathing difficulties and difficulty feeding, as described in the New England Journal of Medicine. He had been born at 4 weeks before his due date and was brought in to the emergency room with rapid breathing. He was found to have a low blood pressure and a fast heart rate. He was later found to test positive for COVID-19, as well as rhinovirus and was treated in intensive care. He was allowed to go home after 9 days of treatment and breathing support in hospital.

COVID-19 is a viral infection and is responsible for the current pandemic. This virus belongs to a family of viruses, namely the coronaviruses. Coronaviruses are responsible for infections like the common cold as well as severe diseases that have caused critical outbreaks in the past: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).

COVID-19 does not appear to be passed between a mother and an unborn baby via the placenta. In this case, the 3-week old boy in Texas was born prematurely and found to have a fever soon after birth. His mother had tested positive for a bacterium, group B streptococcus, during her pregnancy and he was given antibiotics soon after birth. The tests he underwent at that time were negative and so he was discharged home with his family. At home he may have had contact with a household member who had symptoms of COVID-19.

Although, as in this case, children can be severely affected by COVID-19, generally, children do not seem to be affected more severely than adults. They may in fact be more likely to have milder symptoms. They may develop fever, cough and difficulty breathing but can also be unwell with nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea. The symptoms may not appear until up to around 14 days after being exposed to the virus. Young infants, such as this baby, may be more vulnerable to COVID-19 than older children and can also struggle to feed when their breathing is affected.

Young infants are vulnerable to many viral illnesses as they have not developed immunity to the common viruses around. This baby also tested positive for rhinovirus. Rhinovirus is one of the most common causes of infections that can affect the breathing and the airways of young infants and require hospital treatment. Parents and carers can help babies and children avoid becoming unwell with viral infections by following good hand hygiene practices and ensuring they receive their vaccinations on schedule.

This baby boy quickly received support for his breathing, medications and had treatment of a partial lung collapse. He was severely affected by COVID-19 and he was promptly treated and required no oxygen or breathing support 9 days later. Although, if infected, most children will be likely to have mild symptoms of COVID-19, parents should always seek advice if they are concerned about their child’s breathing, feeding or that they are becoming unwell.

New Research on COVID-19 and Pregnancy

Wednesday, May 20, 2020 By Letty Condon

With the current global COVID-19 pandemic, pregnant women may be concerned over how the infection may affect them, their pregnancy and their baby at birth and beyond. New research from New York has looked at the impact that COVID-19 can have on pregnant women and reassuringly has shown no cases where the infection was passed from mom to baby during the pregnancy.

COVID-19 is a viral infection and can cause symptoms including cough, fever, feeling of breathlessness and loss of the sense of smell. The virus itself belongs to a family of viruses, namely the coronaviruses. Coronaviruses are responsible for infections like the common cold as well as severe diseases that have caused critical outbreaks in the past: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).

There are viral infections which are known to affect pregnant women more severely because they are pregnant. There are others that can be passed from mom to baby and affect the way the baby grows and develops in the womb, and can mean that the baby is unwell after birth. The way COVID-19 affects women and unborn babies is not fully understood. The SARS and H1N1 pandemics showed that pregnant women were more vulnerable to developing serious illness when infected and women who were pregnant were more likely to die than women of the same age and health who were not pregnant. Pregnancies affected by influenza during the pandemic in 1918 were also at increased risk of premature birth and of babies dying before delivery.

Unsurprisingly, many are concerned about how pregnant women and their unborn babies may be affected during this pandemic. There has been research already published looking at pregnancy and COVID-19. The number of women that has been studied is small. Some of these studies have shown no increased risk of premature birth or complications for the baby, whereas others have found that there is an increased risk of premature birth and that both the mothers and babies are more vulnerable to becoming unwell prior to and after delivery than those without COVID-19.

The new research looked at 43 pregnant women with COVID-19 who were cared for in two New York hospitals over a 2 week period. The women looked at in this study were nearly all in their third trimester. The results found that 86% of the women with COVID-19 had mild disease, less than 10% had severe disease and 2 women (equating to less than 5%) had critical disease meaning they needed support on the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Nearly a third of those who tested positive had no symptoms of COVID-19. Of those who delivered during this time, more than half had uncomplicated normal vaginal deliveries. All who delivered were given an epidural (or equivalent) prior to delivery and no complications were seen as a result. All babies delivered in this time had good Apgar scores and so were not struggling with their breathing or circulation in the minutes after birth. None of the babies tested positive for COVID-19

This research is still small in terms of the number of women studied. It also does not tell us how COVID-19 may affect how a baby develops early in pregnancy. It is difficult to draw conclusions about how pregnant women may be affected when compared to women who are not pregnant. The percentage of the group studied who were severely affected was similar to that in the general population but this is not a fair comparison. Pregnant women are, on average, younger and less likely to be affected by other medical conditions than the general population. Older people with other health conditions are more at risk of developing severe illness with COVID-19 infection. However, it is reassuring that the majority of women in this group either had no symptoms or had mild disease. Also, none of the babies tested positive for COVID-19 and nearly all were well during the first few days and weeks of life at which point the study was completed.

Steph Hammerman – Motivating by Example

Wednesday, May 13, 2020 By Andrea Donaldson

Steph Hammerman has had cerebral palsy since birth. Her doctors thought she may never walk, talk, read or write, but Steph has not only accomplished those goals, but she has become the world’s first Level 2 CrossFit trainer with cerebral palsy.

Steph’s athletic background was as a competitive hand cycler. When she got bored with the training, a friend suggested CrossFit. She did her first workout in 2012, and was instantly hooked. The next year, she decided she wanted to become a coach, and took her certification course, becoming the world’s first woman with cerebral palsy to become a CrossFit trainer.

In 2016, Steph received life-changing news: she was diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. She put all of her training plans on hold and had to fight for her life. After 6 months of treatment, she was in remission. “Now I had the task of answering a pretty serious question: What next?” Steph said.

She knew the positive impact fitness has had on her life and wanted to open a space where people could be themselves, feel great, and have fun doing it. She opened up her own gym – Hammer Driven Fitness – in 2018.

In addition to being a CrossFit trainer and gym owner, Steph is also Nike’s first sponsored adaptive training athlete. This came about somewhat by accident, however – because her cerebral palsy causes Steph to drag her feet when she walks, she wears out shoes quickly. She saw a new design of trainers that Nike was advertising, so she reached out to the company and asked if she could try a pair to see how they compared to all the other shoes she had gone through. She found that the Nike shoes lasted months longer than her previous shoes, and called the company to thank them and give them her feedback. In response, Nike said they wanted to sign her as an athlete. “From the very beginning, everyone at Nike treated me as an elite athlete.”

Steph says the best thing about being a coach and gym owner is fostering a community that she is proud of. “Our mission is to educate, motivate, and improve, but also to create a community that many have never experienced before,” she says. “Our community is full of people of different ages, sizes, and abilities. But, regardless of your level of experience, you are treated like the athlete and person you are.”

Although Steph and Hammer Driven Fitness are located in North Carolina, she is offering classes over Zoom during the Covid-19 pandemic. More information can be found on her website: hammerdrivenfitness.com

Adaptive Fitness Classes Move Online

Friday, April 24, 2020 By Andrea Donaldson

Many fitness facilities that offer training programs for people with disabilities have been forced to close because of the pandemic. This, combined with the fact that the support workers of people with disabilities may no longer be able to provide respite care due to the restrictions around the virus, has increased isolation issues for an already vulnerable group. Some adaptive fitness programs, however, are taking their classes online to try to alleviate isolation for people with disabilities during the pandemic.

The Active Souls Project in Kitchener, Ontario, is the largest adaptive training facility in the province. It was forced to close its doors in March due to the pandemic, but owner, founder and coach, Sascha King, has been working around the clock to keep her members moving and connected since then. She has been doing no-contact drop offs of gym equipment such as exercise mats, weights, and skipping ropes at no charge so members can still exercise at home. She also offers virtual training sessions to her members, which offer much needed interaction and socialization.

“They’re so used to seeing us every day or every week, their routines are so set in stone that their worlds are turned upside down right now,” King said of her members. “We’ve had to constantly reassure our kids and our adults with exceptional needs and adaptive needs that we haven’t left them.”

Similar virtual training is being offered here in British Columbia. The Cerebral Palsy Association of BC is now offering virtual adapted yoga, and dance without limits, with classes being held through Zoom.

Move Adapted Fitness in Victoria is offering customized exercise programs, video conferencing, and support from athletic therapists and kinesiologists.

Many other facilities, such as the YMCA, have created workout videos that can be followed at home, and many gyms and training facilities are loaning equipment out to members.

It may be worth giving your local facility a call to see what is being offered that can help you maintain your exercise and rehabilitation routine. While many programs are no longer able to proceed in person, many facilities are finding creative solutions to keep people fit, healthy and connected during this time of social distancing.

Did your Premature Baby Receive Adequate Protection with Magnesium Sulphate?

Wednesday, April 22, 2020 By Letty Condon

Being born prematurely, before 37 weeks, can place babies at increased risk of certain health conditions, including cerebral palsy. Research shows these babies have a lower risk of having cerebral palsy when their mother is given a magnesium sulphate infusion before delivery. A new study has been published which shows that when women, who are about to deliver premature babies, receive this treatment, their babies had just over 30% less risk of developing cerebral palsy.

When a baby is born prematurely, their brain is more vulnerable to damage. Damage can occur when there is bleeding in the brain and research has shown that this can affect between 15 – 20% of babies born earlier than 32 weeks. Magnesium sulphate is known to help protect the brain of babies born prematurely but it is not fully understood how it does this. It may help keep blood pressure in the baby’s brain more stable or block certain chemicals from causing damage to the cells in the brain.

Around 2 – 9% of the total number of premature babies born before 34 weeks are affected by cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy affects the way the body moves and is usually diagnosed when a child or infant does not use their arms, hands or legs in a way expected for its age. They may have reduced movement or stiffness in their limbs or they may have movements that they cannot control. The way the body moves is controlled by the brain and damage to a baby’s brain in pregnancy, birth or early childhood can cause cerebral palsy.

In Canada, magnesium sulphate infusions should be considered for those who are likely to deliver a baby before 34 weeks’ gestation within the next 4 – 24 hours. A premature delivery may be suspected when the membranes around baby have prematurely ruptured, or broken, or where the cervix (the neck of the womb) is found to be dilated when mom is examined. The infusions are given through an intravenous (IV) line directly into the mother’s vein. The infusion may be given as one dose over 30 minutes alone, or with an additional infusion continuing until the premature baby is born. The infusion can make the mother feel flushed, nauseous and warm and so women often know if they have received this form of treatment. Magnesium sulphate infusions are considered safe for both mother and baby, and serious adverse effects are rare. There are certain circumstances where it is not advised that the mother receive this treatment, including where she is known to have suffered an allergic reaction to magnesium sulphate in the past or has certain heart conditions.

This new research looked at studies which included over 6,000 babies born prematurely and followed them up to 18 months to 2 years of age. The premature babies who were born to mothers who received magnesium sulphate were compared with premature babies born to mothers who did not receive magnesium sulphate. Babies whose moms had received magnesium sulphate had a relative risk reduction of 0.68 which means a more than 30% reduced risk of developing cerebral palsy. This research is encouraging for those providing medical care for mothers about to deliver before 34 weeks as this form of treatment has the potential to reduce the risk of cerebral palsy and impact significantly on the families caring for premature babies.

If you have questions about whether or not your premature baby received adequate protection from magnesium sulphate before birth, please contact infant child injuries attorney for a free consultation to discuss your concerns. Our cerebral palsy lawyers will do their best to answer your questions and provide you with legal advice about whether or not your child may be entitled to fair compensation for any special care or support required by your child as a result of a birth related injury. You may reach us at [email protected] or at 604 685-2361.

« Previous Page