Dressed in pink, Sylvana, who is only five days old, lies in her mother’s arms. Her mother, Joséphine Ekoli, 28 is happy that she gave birth to a healthy baby after recovering from Ebola. Ekoli was infected with the virus and admitted to an Ebola treatment centre supported by the World Health Organization in December 2018.
Historically, there have been very low survival rates for pregnant women infected with Ebola, and for their babies.
Dr Junior Ikomo, medical assistant referent at the Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA), which runs this treatment centre, says Sylvana’s case is both intriguing and fascinating. They realized she was Ebola-free after running blood tests.
Babies born to mothers with Ebola are usually born already infected with the virus. These infants almost always die. In this outbreak, however, because of pediatric care of infants, there have been several who have survived. As far as we know, this infant is the first to be born Ebola-free to a mother who was previously infected with Ebola. Doctors will continue to follow the baby and her mother’s health closely to ensure they both stay well~WHO
