Women who have COVID-19 towards the end of pregnancy are vulnerable and more likely to develop serious complications than those infected with coronavirus in the earlier stages of pregnancy or those who are not infected, according to a major new British scientific study. On the other hand, vaccination against coronavirus protects pregnant women, as the study shows, so the researchers urged pregnant women - who are often reluctant - to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Pregnant women do not generally appear to be more prone to coronavirus infection than non-pregnant women, but they are at greater risk of severe Covid-19 if they become infected with the virus. The findings show that preterm births, stillbirths and neonatal deaths are significantly more common in women infected with coronavirus within 28 days or less before birth. Also, all of the baby deaths and the vast majority of serious complications requiring ICU admission occur in unvaccinated pregnant women. 77% of Covid-19 cases, 98% of severe Covid-19 infections requiring ICU admission, and all baby deaths, occurred in pregnant unvaccinated women at the time of their diagnosis with Covid-19.
Researchers from the Universities of Scotland (Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, St Andrews, St. Andrews, Strathclyde) and the Scottish Public Health Agency, led by Dr Sarah Stock of the Usher Institute at the University of Edinburgh, who published the study in the medical journal Nature Medicine, analysed data on all pregnant women in Scotland between March 2020 and October 2021 (144 in total).546 pregnancies of 130,875 women). Since the start of vaccination in Scotland, a total of almost 5,000 cases of Covid-19 have been identified in pregnant women, of which three out of four (77%) were unvaccinated, 12% had only had one dose (or were diagnosed with coronavirus less than 14 days after the second dose), and 11% were vaccinated with two doses.
The study analysed data on baby deaths that had occurred either in utero after 28 weeks of gestation or in the first 28 days after birth. It found that the incidence of death of a baby born within 28 days of the mother's infection with Covid-19 was about 23 per 1,000 births, compared with 6 per 1,000 births in the general population of women (without Covid) in Scotland during the pandemic, so the probability of the baby dying due to Covid-19 complications is almost five times higher. All baby deaths occurred in women who were unvaccinated against coronavirus at the time of infection.
Also, about 17% of babies born within 28 days of the onset of Covid-19 in the pregnant mother were born prematurely at least three weeks before the normal delivery date. The corresponding rate of preterm birth in the general population in Scotland is 8%, so the chance of having a premature baby is more than doubled due to coronavirus infection.
The study also found that hospital and ICU admissions were significantly more frequent in pregnant women with Covid-19 who were unvaccinated at the time of their coronavirus diagnosis than in vaccinated pregnant women. 98% of women with Covid-19 during pregnancy who required admission to an ICU were unvaccinated.
The researchers pointed out that, as the evidence shows, vaccination is safe during pregnancy. Dr Stock said, «The data confirm that vaccination during pregnancy does not increase the risk of complications in pregnancy, but Covid-19 does. Vaccination against Covid-19 is critical to protect women and babies from life-threatening complications due to the coronavirus that could have been avoided.».
Therefore, the researchers encouraged pregnant women not to hesitate to get a booster dose, as, according to Dr Rachel Wood of Public Health Scotland, ’it is clear that vaccination is the safest and most effective way to protect pregnant women and their babies from severe Covid-19. Vaccination can be given at any stage of pregnancy, so I encourage pregnant women or those hoping to become pregnant to be fully vaccinated as soon as possible.«.
The researchers stressed the need for more intensive efforts to persuade reluctant women who are pregnant and those who plan to stay pregnant to get vaccinated, as their vaccination rates are so far much lower than the general population of women aged 18-44 years.
