Biologist Baranova: maternity leave from the moment of pregnancy will preserve the birth rate return to the previous level of public health is not clear, said professor at the School of Systems Biology at the University of George Mason, chief researcher at the laboratory of functional genomics at the medico-genetic research center of the Russian Academy of Sciences Ancha Baranova. Her words are quoted by RIA Novosti.
Baranova noted that it is possible to maintain the birth rate during a pandemic if women are given maternity leave from the moment of pregnancy.
The biologist stressed that the decline in fertility will affect developed countries where women have the opportunity to postpone pregnancy. According to her, it is necessary to create conditions so that women can give birth without fear of contracting coronavirus infection during pregnancy. “If you make, relatively speaking, a decree, starting from the moment of pregnancy, then this can greatly help with motivation,” she said.
Earlier, American scientists proved that infection of pregnant women with COVID-19 can cause a fetus mental developmental disorders, even when the infection is not transmitted to the child. Russian scientists also assessed the impact of coronavirus on the human psyche and confirmed that the disease during pregnancy threatens with serious consequences for the fetus. To avoid them, experts advised getting vaccinated against COVID-19 before conception.