Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in a Cohort of Pregnant Women with Comorbid Disorders

Abstract

There are some reports and case series addressing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections during pregnancy in upper income countries, but there are few data on pregnant women with comorbid conditions in low and middle income Countries. This study evaluated the proportion and the maternal and neonatal outcomes associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection among pregnant women with comorbidities. Participants were recruited consecutively in order of admission to a maternity for pregnant women with comorbidities. Sociodemographic, clinical, and laboratory data were prospectively collected during hospitalization. Pregnant women were screened at entry: nasopharyngeal swabs were tested by RT-PCR; serum samples were tested for IgG antibodies against spike protein by ELISA. From April to June 2020, 115 eligible women were included in the study. The proportion of SARS-CoV-2 infection was 28.7%. The rate of obesity was 60.9%, vascular hypertension 40.0%, and HIV 21.7%. The most common clinical presentations were ageusia (21.2%), anosmia (18.2%), and fever (18.2%). Prematurity was higher among mothers who had a SARS-CoV-2 infection based on RT-PCR. There were two cases of fetal demise. We found a high proportion of COVID-19 among pregnant women with comorbidities. This underscores the importance of antenatal care during the pandemic to implement universal SARS-CoV-2 screening, precautionary measures, and the rollout of vaccination programs for pregnant women.

Neuromotor repertoires in infants exposed to maternal COVID-19 during pregnancy: a cohort study

“…Specific associations between reduced MOS-R and neonatal morbidities such as low birth weight, respiratory distress and small for gestational age were not identified, however, this could be a function of sample size. Neonatal complications following maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy have been reported, 20 especially preterm birth. Despite the fact that 25% of our cohort was preterm, prematurity did not explain reduced MOS-R, as GMA corrects for preterm age, that is, infants only reach the threshold for GMA evaluation of fidgety movements with a corrected post-term age of 12 weeks.…”

COVID-19 threatens the progress of humanised childbirth: a qualitative study of giving birth during the pandemic in Brazil

“…This is significant because deviations from recommended practices could undermine progress in the advancement of women’s rights and could also exacerbate poor infant and maternal health outcomes at a time when birthing people are already vulnerable to these consequences of COVID-19, especially in Brazil. 15–18 , 42 This issue is also salient because of the context of how maternal healthcare will be handled in future public health emergencies. At the time of this study, COVID-19 was the most pressing public health emergency but due to coordinated, global vaccination campaigns, as well as more time and understanding of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, healthcare systems have begun to adapt to the new realities this pandemic has brought, as exhibited by decreasing cases and the relaxing of COVID-19 protocols.…”

Clusters of Pregnant Women with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Due to COVID-19: An Unsupervised Learning Approach

“…Cluster 2 aggregated women who most frequently reported gastrointestinal symptoms, ageusia, and anosmia. Teixeira et al (2021) [ 30 ] reported ageusia and anosmia as the most common clinical symptoms of COVID-19 in pregnant women with comorbidities in a study carried out in Rio de Janeiro. These are the most specific symptoms in COVID-19 infections, with great potential to be used as “flag symptoms” in the context of initial risk assessments in health facilities [ 31 ].…”