Menu ENN Search

Guidelines for the management of pregnant and breastfeeding women in the context of Ebola virus disease

View this article as a pdf

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is currently experiencing the second largest Ebola outbreak in history, following a 2014-2016 outbreak in western Africa that had an estimated 28,000 cases. Investigational treatment and vaccination trials are ongoing, but data in the context of pregnancy and breastfeeding are limited. A paucity of scientific evidence exists on how to best treat pregnant or breastfeed­ing women with suspected or confirmed Ebola virus disease (EVD). Historical reports suggest that, among women who acquire EVD during pregnancy, there is increased mortality and morbidity, and a near 100% rate of adverse pregnancy outcomes. To save the lives of mothers and their babies, mitigate complications, and limit the spread of disease, it is critical that recommendations are made on the prevention, treatment, and surveillance of women who are exposed to EVD, acquire EVD during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or survive EVD with ongoing pregnancies.

In response, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently released guidelines for the management of pregnant and breastfeeding women in the context of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).1 These guide­lines are the first to provide such recommendations. They also cover the surveillance and management of ongoing pregnancies and adverse pregnancy-related events, the handling of bodily and pregnancy-related fluids during acute maternal infection and following recovery, and the management of subsequent pregnancies in Ebola survivors. These guidelines will be of interest to health policy makers, emergency prepared­ness and response teams, and healthcare providers who work with pregnant or breastfeeding women in the context of Ebola.

Specific recommendations cover six topics: (i) the management of acute EVD in pregnant women, (ii) the management of pregnancies in women who develop EVD during pregnancy and those who survive EVD with an ongoing pregnancy, (iii) infection prevention and control (IPC) measures for pregnant women with acute EVD or who have recovered from EVD with ongoing pregnancies (with conception prior to EVD), (iv) IPC for women who become pregnant after recovering from EVD (with conception after EVD), (v) breastfeeding women with acute EVD or who have re­covered from EVD, and (vi) vaccination recommendations for pregnant women who are at risk of acquiring EVD.

Download the full guidelines from: https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/330851

 

Read more...

Endnotes

1Guidelines for the management of pregnant and breastfeeding women in the context of Ebola virus disease. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2020.

More like this

FEX: Ebola virus disease and breastfeeding – comment

View this article as a pdf Research snapshot1 The authors commend Mija Ververs and Akanksha Arya2 for highlighting an urgent need for evidence-based breastfeeding guidance in...

FEX: Letters

Dear ENN, If there is one thing that we have learnt from the current Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak it is that regardless of infection status, Ebola comes bringing bad...

FEX: En-net update

By Tamsin Walters, en-net moderator Over the past four months1, 32 questions have been posted on en-net, generating 69 responses. Two upcoming trainings have been advertised...

en-net: Infant feeding and Ebola Outbreak

Posted on behalf of Fabienne Rousseau, ACF I have a question related to infant feeding in the context of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Our teams are engaged in...

FEX: Ebola virus disease and breastfeeding: time for attention

View this article as a pdf Research snapshot1 Over 2,800 cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) have been confirmed in the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo...

Resource: WHO/UNICEF/WFP Interim guideline: Nutritional Care of Children and Adults with Ebola Virus Disease in Treatment Centres

This interim guideline provides recommendations on nutritional support to adults and paediatric patients in Ebola treatment unit (ETUs). It highlights the key clinical problems...

en-net: What should be the nutritional support to adult patients with Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in treatment centres in West Africa?

Dear experts, I would appreciate your help in this. I drafted the following text but you might have ideas and other suggestions. Please help me on this one... This question...

FEX: Review of the role of food and the food system in the transmission and spread of ebola virus

Summary of research1 Location: West Africa What we know: The current outbreak of ebola virus disease (EVD) centred in West Africa is the largest in history. The full role of...

FEX: Experiences of the Sustainable Nutrition and Agriculture Promotion (SNAP) programme in the Ebola response in Sierra Leone

By Sibida George and Georgia Beans Sibida George is Team Leader with International Medical Corps/ SNAP and is based in Sierra Leone. Georgia Beans is the Chief Of Party with...

FEX: Nutritional care for patients with Ebola Virus Disease

View this article as a pdf Research snapshot1 During the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak between 2014 and 2016 in West Africa, practitioners faced challenges providing...

FEX: Improving maternal nutrition in South Asia: Implications for child wasting prevention efforts

This is a summary of a Field Exchange 'views' article that was included in issue 63 - a special edition on child wasting in South Asia. The original article was authored by...

en-net: ACF is looking for AN EXPERT EPIDEMIOLOGIST in LIBERIA

We are looking for: AN EXPERT EPIDEMIOLOGIST Country: Based in LIBERIA - Monrovia (Montserrado County with frequent trip to Bomi County) on Ebola emergency and base opening...

FEX: How Ebola virus disease affected nutrition in Sierra Leone – a food value-chain framework to improve future response strategies

View this article as a pdf Research snapshot1 In 2014-2016 an outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Sierra Leone resulted in 14,124 cases and 3,956 deaths. This...

en-net: Question to those working on Ebola in charge of feeding patients

Dear colleagues. In 2014, WHO launched interim guidelines on Nutritional care of children and adults with Ebola Virus Disease. I would like to know whether these guidelines...

FEX: Adapting infant and young child feeding interventions in the context of COVID-19 in Somalia

View this article as a pdf By Sahra Moalim Ahmed, Bishar Osman Hussein and Emmanuel Barasa Sahra Moalim Ahmed is an Infant and Young Child Feeding Officerat Concern Worldwide...

Resource: Supporting non-breastfed children as part of an Ebola response - Experiences from the Democratic Republic of the Congo

About this brief In every emergency, it is necessary to assess and act to protect and support the care and nutrition needs of both breastfed and non-breastfed infants and...

FEX: Research Snapshots

The following provides a short summary of each of these important research studies. A fuller summary of each can be found online at www.ennonline.net/fex Inpatient management...

FEX: Improving maternal nutrition in South Asia: Implications for child wasting prevention efforts

View this article as a pdf Lisez cet article en français ici By Zivai Murira and Harriet Torlesse Zivai Murira is Nutrition Specialist at United Nations Children's...

en-net: COVID-19 and Safety of Breast Milk and/or Breastfeeding -Please send all your questions

Dear colleagues Gradually I am getting more questions on the safety of breast milk, breastfeeding etc. in the context of COVID-19. I know that you as health/nutrition...

FEX: Ensuring pregnancy weight gain: An integrated community-based approach to tackle maternal nutrition in India

View this article as a pdf Lisez cet article en français ici By Sreeparna Ghosh Mukherjee, Pia Sen and Dr Nagma Nigar Shah Sreeparna Ghosh Mukherjee is Senior...

Close

Reference this page

Guidelines for the management of pregnant and breastfeeding women in the context of Ebola virus disease. Field Exchange 62, April 2020. p15. www.ennonline.net/fex/62/pregnantbreastfeedingwomeninebolacontext

(ENN_6559)

Close

Download to a citation manager

The below files can be imported into your preferred reference management tool, most tools will allow you to manually import the RIS file. Endnote may required a specific filter file to be used.