Irish health officials are investigating whether four cases of stillborn babies are linked to the coronavirus outbreak, the country’s deputy chief medical officer, Ronan Glynn, said on Thursday.
At a press conference in Dublin, Glynn said that “four preliminary reports of stillbirths potentially associated with a disease called Covid placentis” were tracked by the authorities.
According to the coroners who notified the cases, the pregnant women tested positive for coronavirus and gave birth to a stillborn baby whose cause of death was an infection of the placenta.
“More research needs to be done” before the results can be confirmed, Glynn said, adding that he could not “give too many details because there is not much more at this stage”, since coroners had not completed their findings.
Covid Placentitis is “a concern”, but “very rare”, he said. The condition is seen in women who have had positive coronavirus tests before they are stillborn.
“We have not seen a high incidence of this internationally and we do not expect to see a high incidence here,” Glynn told reporters.
In a note, Dr. Cliona Murphy, president of the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said that a small number of cases are being “investigated scientifically”.
“It is important that pregnant women with positive Covid results show up for consultations with their healthcare professionals in the weeks after infection,” said Murphy.
“The vast majority of pregnant women who have had Covid have had mild symptoms and have had no adverse results. Large-scale surveillance data in the UK did not show a higher incidence of stillbirths.
“Pregnant women within priority groups can be vaccinated. The US data on COVID vaccines in pregnancy are reassuring, ”she added.
“We are beginning to see the impact of COVID vaccines which, along with restrictions, are reducing the incidence of COVID-19 infections in the community, which will protect pregnant women.”
According to the latest official data, the Republic of Ireland recorded 4,396 deaths due to the coronavirus pandemic. The country is currently in the middle of its third blockade, after suffering the highest rate of infection per capita in the world in early January.