>>> EVERYBODY, WELCOME BACK. A LOT OF EXPECTANT PARENTS ARE
FEELING ESPECIALLY ANXIOUS
DURING THIS CORONAVIRUS
OUTBREAK.
OUTBREAK. THAT’S BECAUSE SOME HOSPITALS IN
AN EFFORT TO PROMOTE CAUTION AND
SAFETY, PARTNERS ARE NOW BEING
BANNED FROM THE DELIVERY ROOM.
HERE IN NEW YORK IT SPARKED A
CHANGED OUT PETITION WITH MORE
THAN 250,000 OFFICIALS CALLING
ON OFFICIALS TO STEP IN AND
REVERSE THAT DECISION.
SO WE’RE GOING TO ADDRESS YOUR
QUESTIONS ON THE TOPIC ON
FACEBOOK.
FACEBOOK. JOINING US MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT
DR. JOHN TORRES.
GOOD MORNING, DR. JOHN, HOW ARE
YOU?
YOU? >> GOOD MORNING, HODA, I’M DOING
GREAT.
GREAT. HOW ARE YOU DOING?
>> GREAT.
>> GREAT. FIRST QUESTION COMES TO US VIA
RACHEL FROM FACEBOOK.
>> HI, I’M FROM RACHEL.
I’M WONDERING HOW LIKELY OTHER
HOSPITALS AROUND THE COUNTRY
WILL BE LIKE NEW YORK CITY, NOT
EVEN ALLOW ONE SUPPORT PERSON
AND HOW LONG DO WE ANTICIPATE
THESE RESTRICTIONS WILL BE IN
PLACE?
PLACE? >> HODA, WHAT I THINK YOU’RE
SEEING HAPPENING HERE, A LOT OF
HOSPITALS ARE DOING IT IN THE
HOT SPOTS OF THE COUNTRY, THE
PLACES THAT ARE EPICENTER OF
OUTBREAKS.
OUTBREAKS. THE REASON THEY ARE DOING IT,
IT’S A DECISION THEY ARE IN THE
TAKING LIGHTLY, NOT BECAUSE THEY
WANT TO GET PEOPLE OUT OF THE
HOSPITAL.
HOSPITAL. THEY ARE DOING IT BECAUSE THEY
WANT TO PROTECT THE MOM AND
BABY.
BABY. AS A FATHER OF TWO, I CAN TELL
YOU NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN
BEING THERE FOR THE BIRTH OF MY
CHILDREN BUT ALSO THE HEALTH OF
THE MOTHER AND THE CHILD.
THERE’S NO EASY DECISION HERE.
AGAIN, IT’S IMPORTANT TO HAVE
THE PARTNER IN THERE TO HELP OUT
WITH BABY AND BIRTHING AND MOM.
IT’S MORE IMPORTANT, MORE SO
IMPORTANT, TO MAKE SURE THE
MOTHER AND BABY ARE AS HEALTHY
AS POSSIBLE.
AS POSSIBLE. I THINK YOU’RE NOT GOING TO SEE
IT SPREAD ACROSS THE COUNTRY
UNLESS THERE’S MORE HOT SPOTS
AROUND THE COUNTRY.
HOPEFULLY IT ONLY LASTS A FEW
WEEKS HERE BECAUSE WE NED TO
MAKE SURE IT’S UNDER CONTROL.
IF EVERYBODY DOES THEIR PART,
THEY WILL GET IT UNDER CONTROL
QUICKER AND MORE HOSPITALS WON’T
HAVE TO GO TO THE STEP.
>> A SHORTAGE OF PPE, PROTECTIVE
GEAR, GIVING IT TO A FATHER TO
GO INTO DELIVERY ROOM WHEN YOU
HAVE DOCTORS REUSING STUFF OVER
AND OVER AGAIN.
MAYBE DOESN’T SEEM LIKE A GREAT
USE OF RESOURCES FOR SOME.
OKAY.
OKAY. ROSE’S QUESTION IS THIS.
WOULDN’T SOME HEALTH EXPERTS
ARGUE A PARTNER CAN PROVIDE
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT AND ADDITIONAL
PHYSICAL SUPPORT SUCH AS
ALERTING NURSES WHEN SOMETHING
IS WRONG.
IS WRONG. THAT IS A GREAT POINT.
>> HODA, I THINK IT’S A
FANTASTIC POINT.
FANTASTIC POINT. I DON’T THINK ANY EXPERT WOULD
ARGUE THAT IT’S NOT GOOD TO HAVE
SOMEBODY THERE TO SUPPORT, A
PARTNER, DULLA, WHATEVER.
SOME EXPERTS SAY MORE IMPORTANT
TO MAKE SURE HEALTH IS
MAINTAINED.
MAINTAINED. WE’RE TALKING HEALTH OF THE
STAFF, HEALTH OF THE MOTHER,
HEALTH OF THE BABY, PROBABLY THE
MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN ALL OF
THIS.
THIS. AGAIN, I DON’T THINK ANYBODY
WOULD SAY IT’S NOT IMPORTANT TO
HAVE THEM THERE, AND THIS IS A
VERY TEMPORARY MEASURE.
THIS IS UNPRECEDENTED IN OUR
TIME.
TIME. WE’VE NEVER GONE THROUGH
SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
WE’RE DOING THESE THINGS,
LEARNING AS WE GO.
PART OF THAT PROCESS, AGAIN, IS
MAKING SURE EVERYBODY IS SAFE
AND HEALTHY.
AND HEALTHY. HOPEFULLY IT’S VERY SHORT-TERM
LIVED HERE.
LIVED HERE. NOT HAPPENING VERY LONG, JUST A
FEW WEEKS.
FEW WEEKS. WE GET OVER THIS AND GET BACK TO
NORMALCY.
NORMALCY. >> THE IDEA OF BEING ALL ALONE
IN THE DELIVERY ROOM WITHOUT
YOUR SPOUSE OR SIGNIFICANT OTHER
SEEMS LIKE ALMOST TOO MUCH TO
BEAR.
BEAR. HERE IS A QUESTION FROM JORDAN
ON FACEBOOK.
ON FACEBOOK. TAKE A LOOK.
>> WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE FOR
LABOR AN DELIVERY BETWEEN NOW
AND MY DUE DATE IN 28 DAYS I
BECOME INFECTED WITH THE
CORONAVIRUS.
CORONAVIRUS. WILL MOTHERS AND BABIES BE
SEPARATED DURING POSTPARTUM
PERIOD FOR ANY REASON?
>> WOW, THAT’S A GOOD QUESTION.
>> THAT’S A GREAT QUESTION, A
VERY DIFFICULT ONE.
WHAT THEY ARE RECOMMENDING, I’VE
GOTTEN GUIDELINES FROM
HOSPITALS, WHAT AMERICAN
HOSPITALS OF OBSTETRICS AND
GYNECOLOGIST IF THE MOTHER IS
COVID-19 POSITIVE, IF SHE HAS
CORONAVIRUS, THEY RECOMMEND
SEPARATING HER AND THE BABY AT
BIRTH JUST TEMPORARILY TO TEST
THE BABY, MAKE SURE THE BABY
DOESN’T HAVE IT AND MAKE SURE
THE MOTHER RECOVERS FROM IT.
ONE THING THEY DON’T WANT IT TO
DO IS PASS ONTO THE CHILD.
WE DO KNOW CHILDREN CAN BE AT
RISK OF THIS.
THE YOUNGER, THE WORSE IT CAN
BE.
BE. THEY ARE TRYING TO PROTECT THAT
BABY.
BABY. AGAIN, IT’S NOTHING ANYBODY
WANTS TO HAVE HAPPEN BUT THEY
MIGHT HAVE TO SEPARATE THEM
TEMPORARILY TO MAKE SURE THE
BABY IS OKAY.
>> ANY CASES WE KNOW OF SO FAR,
DR. JOHN, OF BABIES HAVE
CORONAVIRUS?
CORONAVIRUS? NEWBORN BABIES?
NEWBORN BABIES? >> NOT HERE.
THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CASES
AROUND THE WORLD OF THEM HAVING
IT BUT NOT HERE IN PARTICULAR IN
THE U.S. WE’LL KEEP OUR FINGERS
CROSS THAT DOESN’T HAPPEN.
AGAIN, TAKING THESE STEPS,
TAKING THESE MEASURES IS ONE WAY
TO MAKE SURE IT DOESN’T HAPPEN
GOING FORWARD.
GOING FORWARD. >> ONE QUESTION FROM ASHLEY.
SHE WANTS TO KNOW, WILL THERE BE
A SAFE AND STERILE PLACE FOR MY
C-SECTION KNOWING SO MANY
ADJUSTMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO
MAKE ROOM FOR CORONAVIRUS
PATIENTS?
PATIENTS? >> YEAH, I THINK THAT’S ONE
THING YOU CAN RELY ON, THE
OPERATING ROOM WHERE THEY ARE
DOING THE C-SECTION IS A STERILE
N.
N. EVERYBODY HAS PPE ON, TAKING
EXTRA PRECAUTIONS, MAKING SURE
NOBODY IS IN THERE THAT HAS
COVID-19.
COVID-19. A SAFE ENVIRONMENT TO HAVE THE
CHILD IN.
CHILD IN. IF YOU ARE SCHEDULED FOR
C-SECTION, THEY RECOMMEND A
C-SECTION, THAT’S ONE OF THE