A group of Japanese researchers says a newborn baby is believed to have contracted the coronavirus from its mother.

Members of the Japan Pediatric Society conducted a survey of 1,124 medical facilities across Japan that have pediatric wards.

It shows that by the end of last August, a total of 52 newborns at 31 facilities had mothers with COVID-19.

One of the newborns tested positive for the coronavirus, but the baby is said to have had no health problems.

The group says there have been overseas reports of suspected mother-to-baby transmission of the coronavirus.

The group's leader, Professor Morioka Ichiro of Nihon University School of Medicine, says the likelihood of mothers passing the virus on to their babies is low and infected babies tend to develop light symptoms. He said pregnant women do not have to worry too much, but they should take sufficient anti-virus precautions on a constant basis.

Source: ANNnewsCH