Objective This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) among pregnant patients at the time of delivery in a rural Midwest tertiary care hospital and to examine demographics, clinical factors, and maternal and neonatal outcomes associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy.
Study Design This prospective cohort study included all delivering patients between May 1 and September 22, 2020 at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Plasma SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing was performed. SARS-CoV-2 viral reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) results and maternal and neonatal outcomes were collected from the electronic medical record. Data were analyzed using univariate statistical methods with clustering for multiple births.
Results In total, 1,000 patients delivered between May 1 and September 22, 2020. Fifty-eight (5.8%) were SARS-CoV-2 antibody positive. Twenty-three also tested viral positive during pregnancy. Three of 1,000 (0.3%) were viral positive on admission but antibody negative. The median age was 30 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 26–33 years) and body mass index was 31.75 kg/m2 (IQR 27.7–37.5 kg/m2). The cesarean delivery rate was 34.0%. The study population was primarily white (71.6%); however, 41.0% of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients identified as Black, 18.0% as Hispanic/Latino, 3.3% as Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and only 27.9% as White (p < 0.0001). SARS-CoV-2 infection was more likely in patients without private insurance (p = 0.0243). Adverse maternal and/or neonatal outcomes were not more likely in patients with evidence of infection during pregnancy. Two SARS-CoV-2 infected patients were admitted to the intensive care unit. There were no maternal deaths during the study period.
Conclusion In this largely rural Midwest population, 6.1% of delivering patients had evidence of past or current SARS-CoV-2 infection. Rates of SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy were higher among racial and ethnic minorities and patients without private insurance. The SARS-CoV-2 infected patients and their neonates were not found to be at increased risk for adverse outcomes.
Key Points
Aim: To compare prevalence and disease severity of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) among multiparous and nulliparous pregnant patients at a rural Midwest tertiary care hospital; parity used as a surrogate for having additional children, assessing if exposure to other coronaviruses is protective for COVID-19. Methods: Retrospective cohort study included all patients who delivered at the University of Iowa between May 1, 2020 and September 22, 2020. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and plasma antibody testing for COVID-19 were performed on women at the time of delivery. Demographics and outcome information were obtained from the electronic medical record. Adjusted odds ratio estimates for COVID-19 risk factors were obtained through the generalized linear modeling framework. Results: In 1,001 delivering patients, 6.2% tested positive for COVID-19 by either viral or antibody tests. Comparing infection rates by parity strata revealed no significant distinctions, with 5.4% of nulliparous women and 6.7% of multiparous women positive by either test (p=0.41). Odds of COVID-19 infection decreased by 6.2% for each year of maternal age (p=0.02). Conclusion: No significant associations were found between parity and prevalence or severity of COVID-19 infection in this population. Increasing maternal age and decreased COVID-19 frequency demonstrated a significant association.
Objective: Assess postpartum contraceptive preferences and use before and after implementation of interventions to improve contraceptive counseling at a free clinic for uninsured pregnant patients. Methods: This was a pre- and post-intervention observational study in Iowa City, Iowa, that included patients from February 2019 – December 2021. Multilingual educational charts and an electronic medical record (EMR) template reminder to prompt antenatal contraceptive discussion were implemented in April 2021. Results: There were 117 pre-intervention patients and 33 post-intervention. Prior to the intervention, 30% of patients had no documentation of contraceptive counseling; afterward, 3% had no documentation (p=.001). Thirty-three percent of patients obtained highly or moderately effective contraception prior to the interventions and 52% did after (p=.068). Conclusions: Multi-lingual educational handouts and an EMR template reminder were associated with increased postpartum contraceptive counseling; contraceptive use also generally increased with the interventions. Increasing access to contraceptive education may increase contraceptive autonomy in underserved populations.
Background: Amenorrhea and extraplacental production of serum human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), particularly in young women, can mimic a pregnancy of unknown location. Elevated serum hCG in the absence of pregnancy can pose a diagnostic dilemma and has led to potentially harmful and unwarranted interventions including chemotherapeutic agents like methotrexate or have led to delay in necessary medical interventions in women. We report a case to demonstrate that amenorrhea and extraplacental human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) production in young women can mimic a pregnancy of unknown location. Furthermore, we performed a critical review of literature on pituitary hCG production. Case: A 38-year-old woman with a diagnosis of Silver-Russell syndrome, a unicornuate uterus, history of right oophorectomy for a benign serous cystadenoma and a desire for pregnancy presenting with a provisional diagnosis of pregnancy of unknown location.After performing a thorough review of history, physical examination, ultrasound exams, and a review of hormone analysis [including hCG, Tumor markers, Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), Luteinizing hormone (LH), Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH), Estradiol (E2) levels], we confirmed the diagnosis of premature ovarian insufficiency and pituitary hCG production. Conclusions: In women, serum levels of hCG may increase with age, and are not always an indicator of pregnancy. Therefore, it is imperative to interpret false-positive test results and rule out the extraplacental production of hCG. This will help prevent unnecessary surgical procedures and treatment, including chemotherapy.
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