Covid engenders far higher risk of complications in pregnant Women and newborns, study shows

THE first in-depth report into how Covid affects pregnant women has shown a higher risk of severe maternal and newborn complications than previously thought.

Researchers from the University of Oxford found that women with Covid were over 50% more likely to experience pregnancy complications – such as premature birth, pre-eclampsia, admission to intensive care and death – compared to pregnant women unaffected by the virus.

The study, which followed more than 2,100 women from March to October last year, also found that newborns of infected women were also nearly three times more at risk of severe complications requiring neonatal intensive care.

However, the study did find that the risks in pregnant women with Covid who showed no symptoms were similar to women who did not contract the virus during their pregnancy.

Aris Papageorghiou, Professor of Fetal Medicine at the University of Oxford, who co-led the study called Intercovid, said: “Women with Covid19 during pregnancy were over 50% more likely to experience complications (such as premature birth, preeclampsia, admission to intensive care and death) compared to pregnant women unaffected by Covid-19.

“Newborns of infected women were also nearly three times more at risk of severe medical complications, such as admission to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit – mostly due to premature birth. The good news, however, is that the risks in symptomless infected women and non-infected women were similar.”

The study looked at over 2,100 of pregnant women with and without a Covid diagnosis during their pregnancy from over 43 maternity hospitals in 18 low-, middle- and highincome countries across the world.

Professor Papageorghiou added: “Fortunately, there were very few maternal deaths; nevertheless, the risk of dying during pregnancy and in the postnatal period was 22 times higher in women with Covid-19 than in the non-infected women.”

The study also highlighted that close to 10% of newborns from mothers who were test-positive for the virus also tested positive for the virus during the first few postnatal days.

The study found that in pregnant women who displayed symptoms of Covid :

■ 46% are more likely to suffer

hypertension;

76% are more likely to develop pre-eclampsia;

70% are more likely to endure foetal distress;

59% are more likely to deliver preterm; and

58% of babies more likely to have low birth weight.

It also found that three times as many infected mothers developed infections requiring antibiotics and five times as many ended up in intensive care. Of the 12 mothers who died out of the 2,100, 11 were infected with Covid.

Despite the evidence, it is still advised that women are given the Covid vaccine in line with their age group.

After real-world data in the US found that over 90,000 pregnant women had been given the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine without any safety concerns, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) gave the green light for pregnant women in the UK to start being offered the vaccine.

They will only be offered these two vaccines due to the amount of data available, although women who have already had the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine and have since become pregnant are still being encouraged to receive their second dose.

Dr Amy Robb, consultant obstetrician and lead for antenatal care at the University Hospital of Wales, said it is for women to consider the risks of getting Covid while pregnant and the risks of the vaccine.