Impact of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) on pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

Abstract

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has been growing at an accelerating rate, and has become a public health emergency. Pregnant women and their fetuses are susceptible to viral infection, and outcomes in this population need to be investigated.Methods and analysisPubMed, Web of Science, Embase, CINAHAL, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature, clinicaltrials.gov, SCOPUS, Google Scholar and Cochrane Central Controlled Trials Registry will be searched for observational studies (cohort and control cases) published from December 2019 to present. This systematic review and meta-analysis will include studies of pregnant women at any gestational stage diagnosed with COVID-19. The primary outcomes will be maternal and foetal morbidity and mortality. Three independent reviewers will select the studies and extract data from the original publications. The risk of bias will be assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for observational studies. To evaluate the strength of evidence from the included data, we will use Grading of Recommendation Assessment, Development, and Evaluation method. Data synthesis will be performed using Review Manager software V.5.2.3. To assess heterogeneity, we will compute the I2 statistics. Additionally, a quantitative synthesis will be performed if the included studies are sufficiently homogenous.Ethics and disseminationThis study will be a review of the published data, and thus it is not necessary to obtain ethical approval. The findings of this systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.PROSPERO registration numberPROSPERO 2020: CRD42020181519.

Maternal COVID-19 Infection and Possible Associated Adverse Neurological Fetal Outcomes, Two Case Reports

“…7,8 These findings were consistent with other smaller systematic reviews and meta-analyses all of which suggest that vertical transmission if present, is rare. [28][29][30][31][32][33][34] Although vertical transmission appears unlikely there is growing awareness of adverse neonatal effects from inflammation as part of a post-COVID-19 syndrome. It has been postulated that inflammation associated with neonatal and congenital infections leads to altered neuro-immune communication, brain injury, and the development of neurological disorders.…”

Adverse Perinatal Outcomes in COVID-19 Infected Pregnant Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…There has been a steep rise in publications, including literature reviews on COVID-19 in pregnancy globally. However, the quality of several studies has been varied, with some including case reports and case series [ 10 , 11 ] and several reviews becoming outdated with the emergence of new evidence. Scientifically proven up-to-date evidence of maternal, fetal, and neonatal risks associated with COVID-19 infection in pregnancy is an urgent need to guide clinical decision-making in maternal and child health care.…”

Consequences and implications of the coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) on pregnancy and newborns: A comprehensive systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) has spread worldwide, becoming one of humanity's most critical public health challenges. The disease is transmitted from person to person and its presentation may range from a common cold to severe respiratory disease, ultimately leading to death 1–4 …”