Does coughing during pregnancy affect the baby?
Disease description:
My daughter-in-law is pregnant, and she’s had a slight cough recently. Could coughing during pregnancy affect the baby?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Zhang Weiling
A mild cough in pregnant women has no impact—indeed, absolutely no effect—on fetal development. However, if a cough caused by a viral infection is not promptly resolved, the virus may persist in the mother’s body and cross the placenta via the umbilical cord, potentially impairing fetal brain development and leading to intellectual deficits after birth.
