The 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease in Pregnancy: A Systematic Review

In December 2019, a respiratory disease caused by a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) began in Wuhan, China, and quickly became a pandemic. In such situations, pregnant women are suspected of being among the vulnerable groups. The aim of this study was to report clinical symptoms, laboratory findings, and obstetrical complications, maternal, fetal, and neonatal complications of COVID-19 infection in pregnant women. We searched the Cochrane library, MEDLINE/PubMed, and Web of Sciences from their inception to April 5, 2020. Any study involving pregnant women with COVID-19 which evaluated the effect of the disease on pregnancy outcomes and fetal and neonatal complications was included in the study. The outcomes were the symptoms and laboratory findings, obstetrical complications, mode of delivery, and maternal, fetal, and neonatal complications. The search resulted in 69 titles and abstracts, which were narrowed down to 12 studies involving 68 women. The three most common symptoms of patients were fever, cough, and fatigue. The most common laboratory findings were an increase in C-reactive protein (CRP) and lymphopenia. The most common obstetrical complication was preterm labor (33.3%). No maternal deaths were reported. The Cesarean section rate was 83.3% and the vertical transition rate was 2.23%. The findings showed that the clinical symptoms and laboratory measures of pregnant women affected by COVID-19 did not differ from the general population. In general, the prognosis of mothers who suffered from COVID-19 and their newborns was satisfactory. However, there is a need for further rigorous studies to confirm these findings as the pandemic progresses.