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Updated: Nov 19, 2025
05:24
Modeling Ascending Vaginal Infection, Preterm Birth, and Neonatal Morbidity in Mice
Published on: October 10, 2025
123
COVID-19: Uncertainties from Conception to Birth.
Bruno Ramalho de Carvalho1, Karina de Sá Adami2, Walusa Assad Gonçalves-Ferri3
1Hospital Sírio-Libanês, Brasília, DF, Brazil.
Summary
Initial COVID-19 information for pregnant women lacked evidence. Emerging data show SARS-CoV-2 can worsen pregnancy health, affect birth outcomes, and potentially transmit to newborns.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Infectious Diseases
- Neonatology
Background:
- Early information on SARS-CoV-2 in pregnancy suggested no significant differences compared to non-pregnant individuals.
- Initial assessments indicated a low likelihood of vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2.
- Concerns exist regarding the quality and potential bias in early scientific evidence on COVID-19's impact on pregnancy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compile and review existing data on the association between COVID-19 and reproductive events.
- To address the evolving understanding of SARS-CoV-2's effects on pregnant women, fetuses, and newborns.
- To consolidate evidence on pregnancy outcomes in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of available scientific literature.
- Compilation of documented cases and observational studies.
- Analysis of data concerning conception, pregnancy progression, and neonatal outcomes.
Main Results:
- Evidence suggests COVID-19 can lead to more severe disease in pregnant women.
- Poor obstetric outcomes, including preterm birth and stillbirth, have been associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection.
- The possibility of vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from mother to fetus/newborn is increasingly documented.
Conclusions:
- The initial understanding of COVID-19's impact on pregnancy was limited and potentially inaccurate.
- Current evidence indicates significant risks of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy.
- Further high-quality research is needed to fully elucidate the long-term effects and transmission dynamics.
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