A baby born in the city of Cortez, in southwest Colorado, tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies after his mother received the second dose of the vaccine just a few weeks before delivery.
Reese Saunders was born at Southwest Memorial Hospital on February 24, said his mother, Haley Saunders. She was upside down in the womb, requiring a scheduled caesarean section, but at 6 pounds and 13 ounces Reese was a healthy baby.
Courtesy Haley Leonard
Reese Saunders, born on February 24, was born with COVID-19 antibodies in her blood after her mother received the second dose of the vaccine just weeks before delivery.
She also already has antibodies in her blood that can resist the new coronavirus, tests have revealed.
“The risk of COVID-19 from what I was reading to pregnant women was very high,” said Haley Saunders of her decision to schedule vaccines earlier this year. She had her first chance in January. “I saw all these hospitalizations and people who were unable to care for their babies for days and weeks and I just didn’t want to be in that situation.”
The first time mother received her second dose in the first week of February, just a few weeks before Reese’s arrival. By bringing Reese to a follow-up appointment, Haley and her husband Ryan Saunders agreed to allow the hospital’s lab staff to test their baby for antibodies. As reported for the first time in The Journal, southwestern Colorado, it was found that little Reese’s blood was rich in antibodies that fight the disease.
As for what this means for Reese, Haley Saunders said he is still unsure. Although there are fewer reported cases of COVID-19 in children compared to adults, the Center for Disease Control has warned that children can still carry and spread the virus.
For Saunders, who works for a mental and community health provider in the region, the decision to be vaccinated was an easy one for her and her husband after talking to her doctor and reading American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists information about vaccines during pregnancy . She said her side effects were minimal – nothing worse than some short-term pain – and now she is taking maternity leave and looking forward to returning to work in person later this year.
“I think everyone should make their own informed decisions. For our family, it made sense, ”she said. “I just know that going back to some sense of normality will be great and I can breathe a little easier knowing that Reese has some antibodies, no matter what that means.”