Vertical transmission of Covid from mother to child: BJMC researchers document first reported case in India

So far, it is unclear whether and how SARS-COV-2 can be transmitted from the mother to the foetus and worldwide, a few cases have been documented in international journals.

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The country’s first documented case of vertical transmission of Covid-19 from mother to child, leading to severe disease in the infant, has been reported by Pune’s B J Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital. According to BJMC researchers, this is the first proven case of transplacental transmission of SARS-COV-2 from a pregnant woman to the foetus.

So far, it is unclear whether and how SARS-COV-2 can be transmitted from the mother to the foetus and worldwide, a few cases have been documented in international journals. In April, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had said there was emerging evidence to suggest that a pregnant woman can indeed transmit the novel coronavirus infection to her unborn baby.

The ICMR had provided guidance on management of Covid-19 in pregnant women, and had said that although the proportion of pregnancies affected and significance to the neonate has to be determined, there is emerging evidence to suggest vertical transmission is probable.

Explained| New Research: Cases of pregnant women infecting baby with Covid found uncommon

Vertical infection is already well documented with HIV and Zika virus infections, but scientific literature about the possibility of vertical transmission in Covid-19 is scarce. This is the first reported case of vertical transmission in the country. The baby, a girl, had required intensive care but recovered completely after three weeks. She was discharged in June, said Dr Murlidhar Tambe, dean of B J Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital.

“Our paper has been accepted for publication in a high-impact US-based international journal. We got an acceptance letter last night,” Dr Aarti Kinikar, professor and head of the Department of Paediatrics at B J Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital, and corresponding author of the study, told The Indian Express.

The Department of Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Microbiology and Biochemistry has reported the case. According to Dr Aarti Kinikar, professor and head of the Department of Paediatrics at B J Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital, it was extremely challenging as the baby had developed a severe form of the disease and it had taken a lot of efforts to treat her successfully.

Explained| Can an unborn baby be infected with coronavirus?

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“A 22-year-old pregnant woman from Hadapsar had reported to Sassoon General Hospital in the last week of May… she had fever one day before the delivery. She, however, tested negative for Covid-19 via the RT-PCR test, but an antibody test showed evidence of Covid infection by a strong antibody response,” said Dr Kinikar.

After the baby was born, her nasopharyngeal swab, placenta and umbilical stump tested positive for Covid-19 by RT-PCR test. She developed symptoms within 24 to 48 hours and had fever, lethargy and signs of severe Covid disease, along with abnormal blood tests suggesting severe inflammation. “We were able to detect the infection in the umbilical cord and placenta. The mother had the infection earlier but was asymptomatic,” said Dr Kinikar.

“Our paper has been accepted for publication in a high-impact US-based international journal. We got an acceptance letter last night,” Dr Kinikar, corresponding author of the study, told The Indian Express.

At the state’s largest government-run hospital, a total of 42 pregnant mothers, who were positive with Covid-19, delivered during the recent 10-day lockdown period from July 14 to 23. Six babies were positive with Covid-19, but that was due to postnatal transmission, while the rest of the babies tested negative.

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Recently, Nature journal also demonstrated the transplacental transmission of SARS-COV-2 in a neonate born to a mother infected in the last trimester.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. ``Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) "Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. ``At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure "For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. ``Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions X (Twitter): @runaanu ... Read More

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