A new study on the effect of the COVID-19 virus in pregnancy has been published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Analyzing data from 42754 pregnant women infected with the COVID-19 virus during pregnancy, the results of this systematic review and meta-analysis suggest a “strong connection between COVID infection and preterm delivery as well as an increased risk of cesarian section”.
The study was led by Dr. Greg Marchand of the Marchand Institute for Minimally Invasive Surgery, and was a cooperative venture with Dr. Katelyn Sainz of Tucson Medical Center, department of Pediatrics. The research team came to the following conclusion:
Pregnant women with COVID-19 are at significantly higher risk of cesarean delivery and premature delivery compared to uninfected pregnant women. Given the fact that these results are based on observational studies, further well-designed investigations are warranted to guide an evidence-based clinical practice. Being more vulnerable to unfavorable maternal and neonatal complications, clinicians may consider altering treatment plans to prepare for possible morbidities, most notably the consideration of steroids for the increased possibility of preterm delivery in COVID-19 infected women. Fortunately, despite these findings, there is still no evidence at this time of the sharply increased maternal mortality that was seen with both the previous 2002 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) pandemics.
Source: ScienceDirect
The full text of the study “Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of COVID Maternal and Neonatal Clinical Features and Pregnancy Outcomes to June 3rd 2021” can be found here.
