A 31-year-old woman from Singapore, who had traveled to Europe, recently gave birth to a baby boy carrying antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19. Doctors confirm these maternal antibodies, transferred during pregnancy, will fade over time. This rare case sheds light on antibody transmission from mother to child.
As reported by The Straits Times on November 29, 2020, Céline Ng-Chan tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in her 10th week of pregnancy after returning from Europe. She experienced mild feverish symptoms and was hospitalized for two and a half weeks. Notably, her husband and father, who joined the trip, did not contract the virus.
“My pediatrician said that the antibodies I had developed against COVID-19 are gone, but my child has them. My doctor assumes I transferred my antibodies to him during pregnancy,” Céline Ng-Chan shared.
This case helps researchers better understand mother-to-child virus transmission dynamics.
The World Health Organization (WHO) notes limited data on whether pregnant women infected with COVID-19 can pass the active virus to their babies. Such cases are extremely rare, and no traces of live virus have been detected in amniotic fluid or breast milk samples.
Pregnant women who recover from COVID-19 are not required to test asymptomatic, healthy newborns.
A July 2020 Italian preprint study of 31 women found SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies in placentas, umbilical cords, and breast milk, suggesting possible transmission—but peer review was pending.
Singapore doctors emphasize that these newborn antibodies offer only ephemeral protection and disappear after an undetermined period.
