With the coronavirus continuing to sweep the nation, it’s a scary time to be alive for everyone. However, there are certain groups of people who might have to worry just a bit more.
In addition to the elderly, who seem most at risk for complications from the virus, pregnant women are having their fair share of worries as well. For example, they may wonder, will they be allowed a support partner in labor and delivery room? Will they be separated from their baby after she gives birth?
Perhaps, most importantly, a new mother might wonder how they will protect their newborn from the virus when their immune systems haven’t yet had time to develop. Of course, no new mom wants their new child to get sick—especially with something as unpredictable as the coronavirus.
While the U.S. is taking extra precautions, such as getting couples who have just given birth in and out of the hospital in record time (sometimes as short as a day), Thailand hospitals have gone to the extreme to give some newborns mini face shields to help them fend off the virus.
The masks offer a barrier to the newborn’s faces, which would halt any droplets from a potentially infected person to get on them. Since coronavirus is spread mainly droplets from one person to the next, this was deemed an effective way to stop the spread.
The masks don’t need to be worn 24/7, but it just offers a new way to practice extra safety precautions and gives moms peace of mind. These are especially useful for the drive home from the hospital with their newborn.
In the photos, nurses and moms of babies who are wearing the shield are also wearing their own masks for added protection.
As of now, only a very small number of babies have contracted coronavirus—and it’s unclear as to how they even got it. “A very small number of babies have tested positive for the virus shortly after birth,” the CDC stated. “However, it is unknown if these babies got the virus before or after birth.”
Additionally, if you have a child over 2 years old, the CDC recommends they, too, wear a mask when out in public, as children are believed to be asymptomatic carriers who can easily spread the disease.
However, babies under two should not wear a mask, as this can increase the risk of suffocation. That’s why these mini shields are a great solution.
To see more pictures and hear more about why Thailand is implanting the process, check out the video below.
What do you think of these mini face shields for newborns? How are you protecting your little ones from coronavirus?