THURSDAY, Dec. 2, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Maternal morbidities are more common among pregnant women diagnosed with COVID-19 versus pregnant women without COVID-19, according to a study published online Nov. 30 in PLOS Medicine.
Sylvie Epelboin, M.D., from the Université de Paris, and colleagues assessed whether maternal morbidities were more frequent in pregnant women with a COVID-19 diagnosis compared to pregnant women without a COVID-19 diagnosis during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (January to June 2020). The analysis included 244,645 births, including 0.36 percent in the COVID-19 group.
The researchers found that among pregnant women, older age, obesity, multiple pregnancy, and history of hypertension were more frequent with a COVID-19 diagnosis, while active smoking and primiparity were less frequent with a COVID-19 diagnosis. Women with COVID-19 had a higher frequency of admission to the intensive care unit; mortality; preeclampsia/eclampsia; gestational hypertension; postpartum hemorrhage; preterm birth at <37 weeks of gestation, <32 weeks of gestation, and <28 weeks of gestation; induced preterm birth; spontaneous preterm birth; fetal distress; and cesarean section versus women without COVID-19. There were no significant differences noted between the groups for rates of pregnancy terminations ≥22 weeks of gestation, stillbirths, gestational diabetes, placenta previa, or placenta abruption.
“Although causality cannot be determined from these associations, these results may be in line with recent recommendations in favor of vaccination for pregnant women,” the authors write.
One author disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
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