Maternal and child awareness about Covid -19 among pregnant women and their children with counseling during the pandemic to reduce Women and child infection

Abstract

Background: Corona virus disease 2019 (covid 19) is a virus that affect the respiratory tract with a recently identified coronavirus emerged as a zoonotic virus that infect human. Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the level of awareness between pregnant women about the corona virus and how to deal with the coming new born, their children and relatives and their level of knowledge about symptoms and methods of prevention and to counsel them how to prevent the spread of the disease and when to seek a medical advice for better maternal, neonatal and child health. Patients and methods: A prospective descriptive study was made in the period from 25 march to 25 May 2020, 324 multigravida pregnant women who have previous living children were included into this study, every pregnant woman was asked questions in a questionnaire form to assess the women awareness regarding symptoms of covid 19 and how to prevent themselves and their children and relatives from infection with corona virus. Results: The questionnaire that was made to women attending antenatal care clinic revealed a high degree of knowledge about symptoms of covid-19, with the highest level for dyspnea (98.5%) in between tem, wile for cough 97.5% of the women knows that cough is one of its symptoms, Also 95.4% of these ladies are aware that fever is one of the alarming criteria of the disease. Conclusion: Pregnant women included in the present study have a high level of awareness regarding covid-19 symptoms and how to avoid virus transmission. We tried to increase the level of awareness between Pregnant women and their children, so we made a thorough counseling to these pregnant ladies regarding crucial points to follow during the pandemic to prevent their exposure and their children exposure to infection, when to seek medical help and how to follow up their pregnancy during the pandemic.