A recent study in Canada links COVID-19 infection with increased risks of serious adverse outcomes such as premature birth, stillbirth, preeclampsia.
Researchers in the study wrote that clinicians should be wary of the reported adverse effects of managing pregnancies affected by COVID-19 infections and adopt strategies that increase effectively prevent or reduce risks to mothers and fetuses.
Infectious pregnancy disorder and COVID-19 infection
Montreal-based researchers, including Dr. Nathalie Auger from the University of Montreal School of Public Health, meta-analyzed 42 studies, involving approximately 438,548 pregnant women across the world.
Auger says the data provide clear conclusive evidence that severe and symbolic COVID-19 disease is associated with high risks of premature birth, low birth weight, and preeclampsia.
The study published in the Journal of the Canadian Medical Association titled “The impact of COVID-19 on pregnancy outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis” highlights the increased risks of severe pregnancy complications on mothers with COVID-19 infectious disease such as preeclampsia – a stress-inducing condition high blood during the second trimester of pregnancy.
Compared with asymptomatic mothers, patients were typical of doubling the risks of premature birth and a 50% increased risk of caesarean delivery.
In addition, patients with severe COVID-19 infections had a higher risk of developing high blood pressure and premature birth than those with mild cases.
The reason behind the increased risks was not clear, but researchers speculate that this may be due to the ability of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to stimulate an inflammatory response, thus affecting blood vessels.
The study notes that the lack of information about the SARS-CoV-2 virus has raised urgent questions among neonatologists and obstetricians about the risks of maternal, fetal, and neonatal morbidity and mortality.
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Threats of COVID-19 pregnancy
Researchers believe that the study provides urgently needed evidence to better guide clinical decisions in the treatment of COVID-19 maternal cases.
Professor Deborah Money, a professor at the University of British Columbia and obstetrician leading a national study project on pregnancy during the global pandemic, says the results of the study on preeclampsia in the newly published study are surprising.
Money adds that researchers could make suggestions related to COVID-19-related information that may affect the placenta; however, with one meta-analysis among the entire body of international literature, clinicians should study the grain with salt.
She says that, to date, researchers have analyzed 1,800 cases of COVID-19 in pregnancy in Canada, with researchers scanning and monitoring for malignancies any problems that professionals did not expect because of the unusual disease.
Results from Canada have shown that pregnant women with COVID-19 have higher risks in hospitalization and premature birth. At the same time, data have not yet shown whether stillbirth is statistically higher.
Money raised concerns about aspects of the study as a result of some data being collected from countries with inappropriate prenatal births that may be contributing to serious fertility problems.
Nonetheless, researchers warn pregnant mothers to take all precautionary measures to minimize interactions outside the family bubble and consider vaccination. as early as possible to reduce the risks of serious complications.
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