Pregnant women not at greater
Pregnant women are not at greater risk of becoming seriously ill with coronavirus than other women, a new study has found.
Researchers from the University of Oxford, in collaboration with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the universities of Leeds and Birmingham, Kings and Imperial Colleges London, have published new research that suggests expectant mothers are no more likely to become sick with severe Covid-19 than women who are not pregnant.
The majority of women who have become severely ill were in the third trimester of pregnancy.
However, the findings show that pregnant women from black and ethnic minority backgrounds were more likely to be admitted to hospital with the infection.
Older pregnant women, those who were overweight or obese and those with preexisting medical problems such as high blood pressure and diabetes were also more likely to need hospital treatment.
The study looked at the cases of 427 pregnant women who were admitted to hospitals in the UK between 1 March and 14 April 2020 with confirmed Covid-19.
Information for the study was collected from all 194 hospitals in the UK with a consultant-led maternity unit.
The figures show 4.9 out of every 1,000 pregnant women were admitted to hospital in the UK suffering from the coronavirus, with around 10 per cent of the women requiring intensive care treatment.
Five pregnant women have died.
This suggests that pregnant women are at no greater risk of severe illness as a result of coronavirus than the rest of the general population.
Other important findings from the study show one in five babies born to mothers hospitalised with the virus were born premature and admitted to a neonatal unit.
One in 20 babies born tested positive for Covid-19, but only half immediately after birth.
Three out of five of the women admitted to hospital have now given birth, while the rest have ongoing pregnancies.
Most have now been discharged.
Medics say the results of the study highlight the need for further research into the disproportionate impact of the disease on black and minority ethnic groups and the need for women in the final weeks of pregnancy to take extra care to avoid catching the virus.
Lead investigator for the study Professor Marian Knight, professor of maternal and child population health at the Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, said: “A very small number of pregnant women do become severely ill with Covid-19 and sadly some women have died.
“Our thoughts must remain with their families.
“It is concerning that more pregnant women from black and minority ethnic groups are admitted with Covid-19 in pregnancy and this needs urgent investigation.
“Most pregnant women who were admitted to hospital were more than six months pregnant, which emphasises the importance of continued social-distancing measures in the later stages of pregnancy.
“Following the current guidance about careful social distancing will help prevent infection.”
Edward Morris, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and an author on the study, said: “Admission with infection in pregnancy is also associated with older maternal age, overweight and obesity and the presence of pre-existing medical conditions.
“Awareness of these factors is important for both women and their doctors and midwives to help ensure women receive appropriate advice about prevention and complications of Covid-19 are recognised early.
“Detailed advice and guidance for women is available on the RCOG website.”
Gill Walton, chief executive of the Royal College of Midwives, said: “During this current crisis, pregnancies have continued, babies have been born, and throughout it all midwives have been at their side, supporting and caring for them.
“It’s absolutely vital that women continue to attend antenatal appointments to ensure that they and their babies are well.
“Staying in touch with their maternity services team will help put any concerns at ease and enable them to act quickly when necessary.”
Information for the study was collected using a research system called the UK Obstetric Surveillance System (UKOSS).
The study was funded by the National Institute for Health Research in 2012 in preparation for the possibility of a pandemic, to ensure researchers could collect accurate information to advise pregnant women, their midwives and doctors.
It was activated in March and the information has been being used to guide the ongoing response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
This study is one of a number of Covid-19 studies that have been given urgent public health research status by the Chief Medical Officer/ Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England.