The state of knowledge regarding covid-19 during pregnancy is becoming increasingly clear. Contracting the virus entails several greater risks for both the woman and the child, shows a new comprehensive study of over 13,000 pregnant women.
The researchers behind the study, which is published in the scientific journal BMJ, have analyzed 12 studies involving over 13,000 pregnant women from Ghana, China, Italy, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Turkey, Uganda and the United States.
The good news is that, contrary to what some early reports pointed to, the researchers did not see that the virus seems to increase the risk of stillbirth.
However, the results show that women who get covid-19 during pregnancy have a greater risk of becoming seriously ill. Among other things, it was four times more common for pregnant women with covid-19 to end up in a situation where they needed intensive care, compared to non-infected women of the same age. Another example is that infected pregnant women were five times more likely to suffer serious blood clots.
At the same time, pregnant women are eight times more likely to die from the disease – although deaths are still very rare.
The study also states that there is no indication that vaccination against covid-19 has any negative effects on the pregnant woman or the fetus. There has also been no increased risk of side effects for pregnant women after a vaccination.
In the player above: Olof Stephanson, professor at Karolinska Institutet, comments on the study.