Home
Guidelines & research services
Guidelines
Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection and pregnancy

Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection and pregnancy

Published: 14/10/2020

Version 12: updated 14 October 2020. Guidance for healthcare professionals on coronavirus (COVID-19) infection in pregnancy, published by the RCOG, Royal College of Midwives, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Public Health England and Public Health Scotland.

The impact of new evidence and changes in policy on the published guidance is reviewed on a weekly basis.

The document above is for healthcare professionals. We have also prepared information for pregnant women and their families, drawn from this guidance:

Information for pregnant women and their families

Q&As relating to this guidance - updated Wednesday 14 October 2020

Occupational health advice for employers and pregnant women

The RCOG, RCM, FOM Occupational health advice for employers and pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic has now been archived as a single recommendation is no longer appropriate. Please read the RCOG, RCM and FOM joint statement on Occupational health advice for employers and pregnant women.

Planning for Winter 2020/21: reducing the impact of COVID-19 on maternity services in the UK

Please read the Joint RCOG & RCM Statement - Planning for Winter 2020/21 which outlines the key principles for ongoing service planning and incorporates evidence-based learning from the first wave of the pandemic.

The accompanying guidance products referenced in this statement are also currently under review and will be updated in the coming weeks.

Maternity Care during the COVID-19 pandemic

Maternal medicine/pregnant women with additional co-morbidities

Testing

Read our principles for the testing and triage of women seeking maternity care in hospital settings during the COVID-19 pandemic - a supplementary framework for maternity healthcare professionals. Version 2: published Monday 10 August 2020

Personal protective equipment (PPE)

On 2 April Public Health England produced updated guidance for PPE usage during the COVID-19 pandemic

Perinatal mental health

Read the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ advice on perinatal mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic

Reintroduction of visitors to maternity settings

The RCOG welcomes published advice in Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland to help services with re-introducing visitors to maternity services including antenatal and postnatal appointments, and pregnancy scans.

Further guidance on the Reset, Restoration & Recovery of services can be found here.

Guidance for maternity service organisation in areas of high risk prevalence/local lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic

The advice within the following guidance was intended for implementation at the peak of the pandemic, when the risk was highest.

Maternity services are advised to reflect on their local risk and return to providing clinical care as recommended by pre-existing local and national guidance (e.g. NICE antenatal care schedule screening including forgestational diabetes) as soon as it is safe to do so.

The following guidance remains available for those areas with high risk prevalence and/or in localised lockdown.