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COVID-19 and pregnancy: a review of current knowledge
Parisa Maleki Dana1, Fariba Kolahdooz2, Fatemeh Sadoughi3
1Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Institute for Basic Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran.
Insights
Pregnant women infected with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) do not face higher risks for critical pneumonia. However, maternal COVID-19 infection can lead to adverse fetal outcomes like preterm labor and distress.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged as a global health crisis in December 2019.
- Previous viral infections (SARS, MERS, influenza) have been linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes.
- The specific risks of COVID-19 for pregnant women and their fetuses require thorough investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize current research on COVID-19 symptoms in pregnant individuals.
- To assess the potential risks of COVID-19 infection during pregnancy.
- To review documented complications in fetuses and neonates born to mothers with COVID-19.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of studies published in English.
- Data sourced from major scientific databases: Web of Science, Cochrane, PubMed, and Scopus.
- Literature search conducted up to April 2nd, 2020, focusing on COVID-19 in pregnancy.
Main Results:
- Common COVID-19 symptoms include fever, cough, dyspnea, myalgia, and fatigue.
- Less frequent symptoms observed were sputum production, headache, hemoptysis, and diarrhea.
- No evidence of vertical (maternal-fetal) transmission of COVID-19 was found.
Conclusions:
- Clinical presentation of COVID-19 in pregnant women is similar to the general population.
- Pregnant women with COVID-19 are not at increased risk for severe pneumonia compared to non-pregnant individuals.
- While vertical transmission is not evident, maternal COVID-19 can precipitate preterm labor and fetal distress.
Background:
Since December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a major health problem that is spreading all over the world. Several viral infections such as SARS, MERS, and influenza have been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. The question arises whether pregnant women are at greater risk of complications related to COVID-19 compared to other people What complications should we expect in the fetuses whose mothers were infected?
Aims:
This review aims to provide a summary of studies on symptoms of COVID-19 and the possible risks of COVID-19 among pregnant women, as well as complications in fetuses and neonates whose mothers were infected with COVID-19.
Methods:
The included data were provided from Web of Science, Cochrane, PubMed, and Scopus which are extracted from the published studies in English until April 2nd, 2020 that contained data on the risk of COVID-19 in pregnancy.
Results:
The early symptoms of patients with COVID-19 were fever, cough, dyspnea, myalgia, and fatigue; while production of sputum, headache, hemoptysis, and diarrhea were other symptoms which were less common. There is no evidence of vertical maternal-fetal transmission in pregnant women with COVID-19.
Conclusions:
The clinical findings in pregnant women with COVID-19 are not significantly different compared to other patients, and pregnant women with COVID-19 are not at a higher risk of developing critical pneumonia compared to non-pregnant women. Although, there has been no sign of vertical infection in infants, but maternal infection can cause serious problems such as preterm labour and fetal distress.
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