Maternal and Neonatal Morbidity and Mortality Among Pregnant Women With and Without COVID-19 Infection: The INTERCOVID Multinational Cohort Study

Abstract

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the extent of the risks of a COVID infection during pregnancy were unknown. During the start of the pandemic, there were only a few studies published comparing outcomes between pregnant women with and without COVID-19 infections. The INTERGROWTH-21st Consortium conducted a prospective, longitudinal, observational study (INTERCOVID), which assessed the association between COVID-19 and maternal/neonatal outcomes in pregnant women with a COVID-19 diagnosis compared with enrolled pregnant women without a COVID-19 diagnosis.This study enrolled patients from 43 hospitals in 18 different countries between March 2020 and October 2020. As a comparison group, the researchers enrolled 2 unmatched, consecutive, uninfected women immediately after each infected woman was identified, at any stage of pregnancy or delivery, and at the same level of care. Both women and neonates were followed until hospital discharge. COVID-19 was diagnosed by laboratory confirmation and/or radiological pulmonary findings or 2 or more predefined COVID-19 symptoms. The primary outcomes of the study were indices of maternal and severe neonatal/perinatal morbidity and mortality.In all, 706 pregnant women with a COVID-19 diagnosis and 1424 pregnant women without a COVID-19 diagnosis were enrolled. The women had broadly similar demographic characteristics (mean [SD] age, 30.2 [6.1] years). Three hundred twentythree women were overweight early in pregnancy (48.6%) with COVID-19 diagnosis and 554 women (40.2%) without. Women with COVID-19 diagnosis were more likely to have preeclampsia/eclampsia (relative risk [

Increased spontaneous preterm births during the second wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in India

“…We speculate that older women are more susceptible for SPTB compared with younger women. The higher percentage of pre‐eclampsia among the women with COVID‐19 in the present study emphasizes the theory that the SARS‐CoV‐2 infection predisposes pregnant women to a greater risk of developing pre‐eclampsia because of its pro‐inflammatory state 20,21 . Anemia in pregnancy is an important risk factor for premature birth 22,23 .…”

“…The higher percentage of pre-eclampsia among the women with COVID-19 in the present study emphasizes the theory that the SARS-CoV-2 infection predisposes pregnant women to a greater risk of developing pre-eclampsia because of its pro-inflammatory state. 20,21 Anemia in pregnancy is an important risk factor for premature birth. 22,23 Our observations are consistent with this, showing higher incidence of anemia in the study cohort of SPTB during the pandemic period.…”

Retracted: Prenatal and neonatal complications of COVID‐19: A systematic review

“…Likewise, there was no association between maternal age and neonatal complications. Birth weights mostly ranged between 2000 and 4000 g, and Villar et al demonstrated low birth weight as a complication of COVID‐19 in the neonates 70 …”

The psychological impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on women who become pregnant after receiving treatment for infertility: a longitudinal study

“…This needs to be addressed as many of the suggested activities are well known to decrease anxiety and depression. Given the most recent research on the 22-fold increased risk of death and 2.2-fold increased risk of perinatal mortality in pregnant women who contract COVID-19 (43), it is obvious why all our patients should be encouraged to address their distress in as many ways as possible for them. Because patients with infertility are at increased risk of pregnancy complications, which in turn increases their risk for negative psychological symptoms, including PTSD, this represents even more urgency to the need to increase the support offered.…”