Yes, a newborn can get COVID-19 from the mother, but the risk is low and careful hygiene, testing, and vaccination lower that risk further.
Hearing that you have COVID-19 late in pregnancy or soon after birth can feel terrifying. You look at your baby or bump and wonder whether every cough, every breath, might put that tiny body in danger. The reassuring news is that infection in newborns does happen, yet it stays uncommon when simple precautions and vaccines are in place.
Scientists have followed pregnant patients and their babies since early in the pandemic. They test mothers, check placentas, swab newborns, and track outcomes over time. Their work shows that COVID-19 can reach a baby before birth, during birth, or in the days afterward, but these events remain rare when care teams and families use basic protection.
Newborn COVID-19 From Mother: What Current Research Shows
Studies that test babies soon after birth describe three main paths: infection through the placenta during pregnancy, exposure to virus in the delivery room, and exposure from close contact and shared air after birth. Across large series of births, only a small share of newborns born to mothers with COVID-19 test positive, which offers real comfort while still calling for careful habits.
| Possible Route | When It Happens | What Research Suggests |
|---|---|---|
| Inside The Womb (Placenta) | During late pregnancy | Seen in case reports; overall risk appears low. |
| During Vaginal Birth | While passing through the birth canal | Possible route, though clear proof of this path stays limited. |
| During Caesarean Birth | In the operating room | Exposure comes mainly from air and nearby surfaces. |
| Early Skin-To-Skin And Rooming-In | First hours and days after birth | Bonding stays safe when masks and handwashing are used well. |
| Breastfeeding | During feeds and pumping | Milk itself is not a proven route; droplets around feeding need care. |
| Household Contacts | Days and weeks after birth | Infected relatives can pass the virus through shared air and touch. |
| Wider Public Exposure | Clinic visits, travel, gatherings | Crowded indoor settings raise newborn risk. |
Large hospital cohorts report that only a small fraction of babies born to mothers with COVID-19 test positive in the first days of life, and many of those babies have no symptoms or only mild ones. A paediatric review that pooled data from several centres concluded that vertical transmission from mother to child can occur but remains uncommon, which matches what doctors see in neonatal units.
Can A Newborn Get COVID-19 From Mother? Quick Snapshot
When parents type “can a newborn get covid-19 from mother?” into a search bar, they are really asking two questions. They want to know whether transmission is possible at all and how likely it is. The honest answer is that infection can happen at each stage around birth, yet the odds stay low and fall further with smart precautions and up-to-date vaccination for pregnant and breastfeeding parents.
During Pregnancy: In Utero Transmission Risk
Inside the womb, the placenta forms a strong barrier between maternal blood and the baby. With SARS-CoV-2, case reports and small series show that the virus can reach placental tissue and, in rare cases, cross into the baby’s circulation. The World Health Organization has even set definitions to label infections that start before birth, during birth, or after birth so studies can be compared consistently.
This route does exist, yet pooled data still point to a low overall rate. In many series, babies born to infected mothers test negative by PCR on repeated swabs. When antibodies appear, they often come from maternal antibodies that cross the placenta and may give short-term protection. That fits day-to-day experience in maternity units, where most babies go home without any sign of COVID-19 infection.
Risk during pregnancy rises when the mother has severe illness, needs oxygen or intensive care, or lives with conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure. Infection early in pregnancy mainly threatens the mother’s health and can raise the chance of preterm birth. Infection close to delivery matters more for newborn infection, because virus levels around birth tend to be higher.
Birth And Hospital Stay: Early Exposure Routes
During labour and birth, a baby moves from a quiet fluid-filled space into a room shared with staff and family members. If the mother has active COVID-19, her breaths, coughs, and speech can send virus-carrying droplets into the air near the baby. Exposure can also come from hands, gowns, or surfaces that have picked up virus and then touch the newborn.
During labour and birth, hospitals use clear steps to guard babies. Staff wear masks, clean hands often, clean shared surfaces, and reduce extra visitors. Current guidance from paediatric and public health groups leans toward keeping mothers and babies together when masks, testing, and handwashing control risk.
Some babies born to mothers with COVID-19 stay in a bassinet a short distance from the mother’s bed when no direct care is happening, then are brought in close for feeds and cuddles. In many hospitals, newborn PCR testing happens around 24 hours of life and again at about 48 hours when tests are available. When tests stay negative and the baby looks well, families usually go home with standard follow-up and clear instructions on when to seek help.
Breastfeeding, Rooming-In And Close Contact
Many parents worry about the safety of breast milk once COVID-19 enters the story. Current evidence in the CDC guidance on COVID-19 and breastfeeding suggests that the virus does not spread through breast milk itself. The main concern lies in the close face-to-face contact during feeds, when a mother could breathe virus-laden droplets toward the baby.
The World Health Organization reaches a similar conclusion. In its WHO breastfeeding and COVID-19 brief, it encourages mothers with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 to start or continue breastfeeding while using masks, washing hands, and cleaning pump parts carefully. Breast milk carries antibodies and other protective factors that help babies handle many infections during early life, so continuing feeds gives clear health benefits.
Families who choose to pump milk can reduce risk further with strict handwashing before pumping and thorough cleaning and drying of all parts after each session. Some families switch to temporary formula feeds if the mother feels too unwell to breastfeed or pump, then return to breast milk as her strength improves. Feeding plans work best when they weigh the small infection risk against the strong health value of human milk.
How Parents Can Lower COVID-19 Risk For A Newborn
Even with several possible routes, most protection comes from simple daily habits. The basic idea is to cut down the chance that virus-filled droplets reach the baby’s nose, mouth, or eyes. Many steps that kept grandparents safe during the pandemic now help guard the newborn in the cot beside your bed.
Vaccination before or during pregnancy sits near the top of that list. Studies show that when mothers receive COVID-19 vaccines in pregnancy, they pass protective antibodies through the placenta, and these antibodies help shield babies during the first months of life. Newborns cannot yet receive COVID-19 vaccines, so maternal doses give them a helpful early shield.
Talk through timing of doses, boosters, and any recent infections with your maternity or primary care team so that vaccine plans fit your health needs, your baby's due date, and local guidance from hospitals or public health agencies and fit your daily life too.
Daily habits then add more layers of safety:
- Wash hands with soap and water before touching the baby or handling bottles and pump parts.
- Use alcohol hand gel when sinks are not close by.
- Ask anyone with cough, sore throat, fever, or positive COVID-19 tests to stay away from the newborn.
- Limit crowded indoor trips with the newborn, especially during local surges.
- Open windows or use air cleaning devices during home visits.
- Wear a well fitting mask during feeds and cuddles while you recover from COVID-19.
- Keep prenatal and postnatal visits so your team can track your recovery and your baby's growth.
These steps do not sterilise life, and that is not the goal. They trim the riskiest moments so your baby can still enjoy warmth, touch, and family contact while staying as safe as possible.
Warning Signs And When To Seek Urgent Help
Most babies born to mothers with COVID-19 stay well, yet newborns can still become sick from this virus or from other conditions that appear around the same time. Parents sometimes hesitate to call for help because they worry about “overreacting”. In the first weeks of life, it is always safer to ask early.
Call your baby’s doctor or local urgent care line straight away if any of the signs in the table below appear. If your baby has trouble breathing, blue lips or tongue, or will not wake, call emergency medical services without delay.
| Symptom Or Sign | What You Might Notice | Recommended Action |
|---|---|---|
| Fever | Temperature of 38°C or higher in a baby under three months | See a doctor the same day or go to emergency care. |
| Breathing Trouble | Fast breathing, flaring nostrils, grunting, or chest pulling in | Seek urgent care; call emergency services if breathing looks hard. |
| Poor Feeding | Baby takes less than half of usual feeds or refuses several in a row | Arrange an urgent medical check. |
| Sleepiness Or Limpness | Hard to wake, floppy limbs, weak or unusual cry | Go to emergency care straight away. |
| Blue Or Pale Colour | Blue lips or tongue, grey or mottled skin | Call emergency services immediately. |
| New Rash With Fever | Spots, blotches, or bruises with high temperature | Have the baby seen the same day. |
| Less Wet Nappies | Far fewer wet nappies than usual or long dry spells | Contact a doctor to check for dehydration or other illness. |
These warning signs do not prove COVID-19 infection; they simply show that a newborn needs a hands-on check. Your care team may test for SARS-CoV-2 along with other viruses and newborn conditions. Clear results and a careful exam make it easier for everyone to relax or to act quickly if treatment is needed.
Small Steps That Make COVID-19 Less Scary Around Birth
When you pause and ask yourself again, “can a newborn get covid-19 from mother?”, you hold a mixture of fear and deep care in that one line. The science answer says yes: infection can pass from mother to baby before, during, or after birth. At the same time, the chance of this happening stays low in most settings and drops further when parents and staff use masks, handwashing, testing, and vaccines well.
Talk with your midwife, obstetric team, or paediatrician about your own history and local guidance. They can explain how your hospital cares for mothers with COVID-19, how newborn testing works, and which visitors can join you on the ward. That background turns vague worry into a clear plan, which often brings more calm than any online article on its own for you and baby.