Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 27, 2025
A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting
Published on: January 12, 2018
The National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce: pregnancy and perinatal guidelines
Caroline Se Homer1, Vijay Roach2,3, Leila Cusack4
1Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Program, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC.
Insights
Pregnant women face higher COVID-19 risks. The National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce provides rapidly updated, evidence-based guidance for pregnant and breastfeeding women, ensuring optimal care during the pandemic.
Area of Science:
- Maternal-fetal medicine
- Infectious disease epidemiology
- Clinical evidence synthesis
Background:
- Pregnant women exhibit increased susceptibility to severe outcomes from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
- The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the rapid development and dissemination of evidence-based clinical guidelines.
- A dedicated Pregnancy and Perinatal Care Panel was established to prioritize and guide care for this vulnerable population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish and implement a rapid, living guidelines approach for managing COVID-19 in pregnant and breastfeeding women.
- To provide timely, evidence-based recommendations for Australian maternity care providers.
- To ensure the inclusion of specific considerations for pregnancy and the perinatal period in national COVID-19 clinical guidance.
Main Methods:
- The National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce convened a specialized panel for pregnancy and perinatal care.
- Systematic reviews of emerging evidence were conducted to inform guideline development.
- Recommendations were continuously updated to reflect the latest scientific findings and clinical data.
Main Results:
- As of May 2022, seven recommendations addressed standard maternity care practices, including mode of birth and breastfeeding.
- Eleven recommendations focused on COVID-19-specific treatments, with conditional support for remdesivir, tocilizumab, and sotrovimab.
- Recommendations advised against the use of hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin for COVID-19 treatment.
Conclusions:
- The National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce successfully provided critical infrastructure for maternity care during the pandemic.
- A rapid, living guidelines model proved feasible and acceptable for managing evolving clinical evidence.
- The Taskforce's approach ensured that pregnant and breastfeeding women received up-to-date, evidence-based care recommendations.
Introduction:
Pregnant women are at higher risk of severe illness from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) than non-pregnant women of a similar age. Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, it was clear that evidenced-based guidance was needed, and that it would need to be updated rapidly. The National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce provided a resource to guide care for people with COVID-19, including during pregnancy. Care for pregnant and breastfeeding women and their babies was included as a priority when the Taskforce was set up, with a Pregnancy and Perinatal Care Panel convened to guide clinical practice.
Main Recommendations:
As of May 2022, the Taskforce has made seven specific recommendations on care for pregnant women and those who have recently given birth. This includes supporting usual practices for the mode of birth, umbilical cord clamping, skin-to-skin contact, breastfeeding, rooming-in, and using antenatal corticosteroids and magnesium sulfate as clinically indicated. There are 11 recommendations for COVID-19-specific treatments, including conditional recommendations for using remdesivir, tocilizumab and sotrovimab. Finally, there are recommendations not to use several disease-modifying treatments for the treatment of COVID-19, including hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin. The recommendations are continually updated to reflect new evidence, and the most up-to-date guidance is available online (https://covid19evidence.net.au).
Changes In Management Resulting From The Guidelines:
The National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce has been a critical component of the infrastructure to support Australian maternity care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Taskforce has shown that a rapid living guidelines approach is feasible and acceptable.
More Related Videos
06:15Protocol and Guidelines for Point-of-Care Lung Ultrasound in Diagnosing Neonatal Pulmonary Diseases Based on International Expert Consensus
Published on: March 6, 2019
05:50International Expert Consensus and Recommendations for Neonatal Pneumothorax Ultrasound Diagnosis and Ultrasound-guided Thoracentesis Procedure
Published on: March 12, 2020
Related Concept Videos
01:19Standards of Care II
01:26Standard Precaution
Hand hygiene is the most crucial means to prevent the transmission of disease. Employers are legally required to provide their workers with personal protective equipment (PPE) to minimize exposure or contact with...
01:22Standards of Care I
01:22Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...
01:07Teratogenicity
01:17Transmission-based Precautions I: Contact, Enteric, and Droplets
Contact Precautions:
Contact precautions are the measures taken to prevent the transmission of infectious agents, especially epidemiologically important microorganisms such as MRSA or influenza, primarily transmitted through direct or indirect contact with an...