Can babies get COVID?! And other pandemic ponderings
It’s been almost one year of COVID. UGH. A full year of masks, face shields, and PPE (personal protective equipment) flying off the shelves. A trip around the sun of businesses shut down and families kept apart. One calendar’s worth of life as we know it coming to a halt.
We can all relate to the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has posed. I could go on and on about the ways it’s impacted my life personally and professionally (and trust me, my therapist gets to hear about all the strife it causes me!), but today I’m going to focus on the impact COVID has had on babies and families.
I think quarantine babies will be excellent at picking up body language and tone of voice fluctuations, since they have to rely on those rather than facial expressions!
Quarantine baby boom…or bust?
The jokes started early last year about the expected “quarantine baby boom”, which has turned out to really be more of a bust! It turns out, a global pandemic of the likes we’ve never seen isn’t the best aphrodisiac! That said, many of us have welcomed new bebes into our lives, which has been a hidden gem amongst the tragedy of the pandemic.
However, COVID-related challenges for families begin at birth, as families are not able to be present at the hospital when babies are born. Popping champagne in the hospital room and having the family crowd around the newest member is a long-cherished tradition that has been put on hold. Moms are giving birth with masks on—can you imagine?! Next time you huff and puff and roll your eyes when donning your mask for the grocery store, imagine going through labor with a mask on—IF THEY CAN DO IT, YOU CAN CERTAINLY DO IT!
It’s sad that many babies will have to wait months before meeting their family members—I can attest that missing out on the first year of life of many babies in my family and friend circles has been rough, but it’s worth it to protect the little ones that we love! Thank goodness for FaceTime and Zoom to stay connected given the circumstances.
But babies can’t get COVID, right?!
Wrong. While it’s true that COVID primarily impacts adults and in general children are at lower risk of getting COVID and have less severe symptoms, I’m here to tell you that BABIES CAN GET COVID. It’s important to be diligent to protect your baby and family. Make sure to monitor your baby for symptoms, limit travel and visitors (I know it’s hard when everyone is itching to meet your little one), follow local safety guidelines, and continue to get routine medical care for you and your baby. Furthermore, the impacts COVID is having on babies and families are widespread.
The hospital halls are quieter these days…
At the children’s hospital I work at, visitor restrictions have been strict, effective and necessary, but also heart-breaking. For a long while, only one caregiver was allowed at bedside, so family members would have to draw straws to decide who would be able to greet their baby when coming out of an hours-long surgery, or who would be able to hold their tiny hand through painful procedures.
Services at the hospital have been limited to those that are determined to be absolutely medically necessary. Prior to March of 2020, Children’s was a happening place! On any given day, we had visits from Russell Wilson and Ciara, Theo the therapy dog, and “aunties and uncles” who were assigned to snuggle the same baby several times a week. Music therapists roamed the halls and visited babies’ rooms. Artists, clowns, and friendly performers kept the spirits of patients and families high during a challenging hospitalization. These important, life-improving services have been necessarily paused, and the families and babies are feeling the effects deeply.
Isolation on another level
Life-saving measures that take place during a NICU stay already come with a certain form of isolation from the outside world. Instead of being in their crib at home, babies are in an isolette under warming lights. Rather than feeding from a bottle or breast, babies often need nutrition from a feeding tube. Part of my role as an infant therapist is to help mitigate the potentially negative effects the hospital environment has on developmental and sensory experiences, and support the baby to thrive despite their medical challenges!
COVID has affected this as well. If babies or their families have a suspected or known exposure to COVID, they go into specialized isolation. In this case, all providers wear CAPRs (Controlled Air-Purifying Respirators—see below!) and receive only the most medically necessary care. This means no therapy, no extra nursing cuddles when family is not able to be bedside, no doctors popping in and out as needed. The stories I could tell you about families being separated, babies being lonely, and essential but not “medically necessary” services being limited would break your heart and bring tears to your eyes. Trust me, COVID at the hospital has given me all the feels.
One good thing about wearing a space suit-looking form of PPE (CAPR) is that babies can see my face!
Perks of being a frontline provider
Luckily, as an infant therapist, I am classified as medically necessary and a frontline provider, so I have continued to be able to work with and support babies/families throughout the pandemic. As the world has shut down around us, we have continued to hustle at the hospital to help the babies thrive. We’ve kept on keepin’ on: promoting skin-to-skin time and safe sleep habits, helping babies enjoy tummy time, and working towards meeting individual developmental milestones amidst medical challenges.
Despite the stress, fear, and anxiety that comes with being a frontline provider in a pandemic (and again if you ask my therapist, these stresses are real!), I’m very grateful to continue to work as usual (though with extra procedures and precautions) because, as you probably already know, I love tiny humans!
Being a frontline provider has its perks, too! You are reading the words of a fully-vaccinated person, hooray! Since the vaccine, I’m still beholden to all of the same precautions (masks, social distance, you know the drill), but it feels wonderful to know that the vaccine provides an extra layer of protection for me and the babies/families I work with.
I got my second vaccine
We are still learning a lot about COVID and the implications for babies, kids and parents. Here is some of what we know so far (this list is not exhaustive by any means, but it’s a place to start!), compiled from information from the CDC and the Washington State Department of Health:
While children have been less affected by COVID-19, they can still become infected by the virus. Children with underlying medical conditions are at higher risk of severe illness as a result of the virus.
Reported signs among newborns with COVID-19 include fever, lethargy (being overly tired or inactive), runny nose, cough, vomiting, diarrhea, poor feeding, and increased work of breathing or shallow breathing.
If you think your baby or child has been exposed to or may have COVID, contact your doctor immediately and follow the CDC guidelines for steps to take to protect and care for your baby or child.
The vaccine is currently not approved for any person under the age of 16 years. In Washington, for example, youths over the age of 16 with qualifying health conditions may be eligible for the vaccine in upcoming stages.
If you are a documented caregiver for a child with special medical needs, you may be eligible for the vaccine. If you live in Washington, visit the Washington State Department of Health website to find out more about vaccine eligibility and how to schedule your vaccine. If you live in another state you can visit your state’s department of health site for more information.
COVID-19 vaccines are free of charge for everyone, everywhere in the US.
Newborn check ups and well-child visits are important to continue despite the pandemic! Wear your mask, and if you child is over the age of 2 years they should join you in wearing a mask too. Babies and children under the age of 2 years should not wear a mask, as this presents health and safety risks.
Visit the CDC’s website for more information
I know it’s been a long, tough, isolating and frustrating year for all of us, but it’s not over yet. We must all work together to stay safe for our communities. Continue to wear a mask, limit travel and social gatherings, stay 6 feet apart, and monitor your symptoms closely. Reach out to your doctor if you are concerned about COVID, and continue with regular medical care for you and your baby! We will get through this by being apart, together!
How has COVID affected you and your family? Do you have strategies that worked to help you deal with the challenges the pandemic has presented? Drop them in the comments below!
TL;DR
COVID sucks, and the pandemic has impacted us all tremendously. Especially babies and families.
While COVID typically impacts adults, babies and children can get COVID. Monitor your baby for symptoms, limit travel and visitors, follow local safety guidelines, and continue to get routine medical care, like newborn check ups and well-child visits.
The impacts of babies and families in the hospital have been widespread: from giving birth in a mask, to visitor restrictions in the NICU, to limited therapy and other essential services.
If babies have a suspected or known COVID exposure while in the hospital, they go into special isolation. This can have additional developmental consequences.
Vaccines are currently not approved for children under the age of 16 years. Visit the CDC’s website for more details on vaccine eligibility and scheduling.
We will get through this by being apart, together! Continue to wear a mask, limit travel and social gatherings, stay 6 feet apart and monitor your symptoms!