According to a new scientific study conducted in Italy, experts say that coronavirus can be transmitted from a pregnant woman to the fetus through the placenta.

Claudio Fenizia from the University of Milan and his colleagues reported two COVID-19 infected newborn babies to two coronavirus positive mothers.

The cases were discussed at a conference organized by the International AIDS Society.

The study included 31 women in late pregnancy and positive to coronavirus.

The doctors were examining the mothers and the newborn babies, as well as the placenta, the breast milk, the vaginal fluids of the mother, and the umbilical cord.

In two of the cases, the babies were born infected, which points out the severity of the transmission and endangering the lives of the most vulnerable.

By finding coronavirus pathogens in the breast milk, the placenta, the umbilical cord, and mother’s vaginal fluids, these doctors are proving that the virus can be vertically transmitted.

“This is the first ringing bell that should raise awareness about a topic that is not really well studied,” Fenizia said.

In one of the baby’s umbilical cord blood, they found coronavirus antibodies, which means that it was recently infected while both of the babies’ placentas were inflamed, which is a sign of infection.

The two women were infected late in their pregnancies, so hopefully, the babies won’t suffer any severe damage, like it’s the case with the Zika virus.