New York: Pregnant patients
who tested positive for the coronavirus were found to have more than double the
risk of poor outcomes including preterm birth, blood clot, according to a study
that emphasised the need to promote maternal vaccination.
The study, published in JAMA
Internal Medicine, showed that Covid can also result in severe maternal
morbidity, which includes conditions such as acute respiratory distress
syndrome and sepsis.
"These findings add to
the growing evidence that having Covid-19 during pregnancy raises risks of
serious complications," explained lead author Assiamira Ferrara, a senior
research scientist and associate director of the women's and children's health
section at US-based non profit Kaiser Permanente.
"Coupled with the
evidence that the Covid-19 vaccines are safe during pregnancy, these findings
should aid patients in understanding the risks of perinatal complications and
the need for vaccination," said Ferrara. "This study supports the
recommendation for vaccination of pregnant individuals and those planning
conception."
The team analysed records for
43,886 pregnant individuals during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic and
found that the 1,332 who had a coronavirus infection during pregnancy had more
than double the risk of negative outcomes compared with individuals without the
virus.
The study found twice the risk
for preterm birth for those testing positive for coronavirus. These patients
were more likely to have a medically indicated preterm birth than a spontaneous
one; risk was elevated for both types of preterm birth and during early,
middle, and late terms of the pregnancy. Birth may be induced early when the
mother has a condition such as preeclampsia - characterised by high blood
pressure.
Those with Covid infection
were also three times more likely to have thromboembolism, or blood clot, and
2.5 times more likely to have a severe maternal morbidity.
"Our study was large,
diverse, and supports the need for vaccination by pregnant individuals and
those who plan to get pregnant," said co-author Mara Greenberg, a
maternal-foetal medicine specialist with The Permanente Medical Group.
"The most important thing
people can do to protect themselves and their baby is to get vaccinated."
The analysis found that 5.7 per cent of patients with a coronavirus infection during pregnancy had a hospitalisation related to the infection.
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