A new study suggests that pregnant women who contract severe COVID-19 disease face an increased risk of death and premature birth compared to those with asymptomatic cases of the disease.
However, the study’s lead author said the adverse results were not associated with mild to moderate coronavirus infections.
“Our research shows that serious pregnancy complications appear to occur in women with severe or critical cases of COVID and not in those with mild or moderate cases,” Dr. Torri D. Metz, sub-specialist in maternal and fetal medicine and associate professor at the University of Utah Health, said in a related press release.
“This information helps us to advise our patients more effectively. For pregnant women who have contracted a mild or moderate case of COVID-19, these findings may help to alleviate their fears that they are at an increased risk of having serious pregnancy complications due to aa disease. “
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The results were presented Thursday at a virtual meeting for the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, according to a press release from the National Institutes of Health, which funded the study.
Researchers at the University of Utah and George Washington University examined records of 1,219 pregnant women from more than 30 hospitals in 14 states from March 1 to July 31, who were diagnosed with coronavirus. Almost half of the patients had no symptoms, while the other patients experienced mild (27%), moderate (14%), severe (8%) and critical (4%) strokes of COVID-19 disease.
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The CDC says that pregnant women should be educated on the importance of seeking immediate medical attention if they develop symptoms of coronavirus. (iStock)
Older patients with higher body mass index (BMI) and underlying health conditions tend to develop severe COVID-19. These women faced a higher risk of death and serious delivery problems, such as heavy and abnormal bleeding after delivery, cesarean sections, hypertension and premature delivery.
A summary of the findings indicates that four women died from the new virus, which exceeds the death rate of pregnant women without a COVID-19 infection, listed at around 17 deaths for every 100,000 live births.
“High blood pressure and premature birth also have the potential to cause long-term health problems in women or their babies,” says a related press release.
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The study follows previous findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which say that pregnant women who contract the coronavirus are more at risk of serious illness and death than non-pregnant women.
The CDC said that pregnant women should be counseled about the importance of seeking immediate medical attention if they develop symptoms of coronavirus, and that there should be a strong emphasis on preventing coronavirus for pregnant women at each medical visit.
Fox News’ Alexandria Hein contributed to this report.