Study Findings
Data continues to pour in, but a recent review of 77 studies highlights the way COVID-19 can affect both mothers and their unborn babies. According to the analysis, “Pregnant or recently pregnant women with COVID-19 seem to be at increased risk of requiring admission to an intensive care unit or invasive ventilation.” What’s more, COVID-infected mothers tend to have a slightly higher rate of preterm labor as well. While this may sound alarming, it’s important to note that COVID-19 is not the only disease that can hit pregnant women harder than their non-pregnant counterparts. “Any disease can be considered more dangerous for a pregnant woman, because her health not only impacts her, but also her unborn baby,” says Michelle Sands, ND, a women’s health and fertility expert at Glow Natural Wellness.
How COVID Can Affect Pregnant Women
A meta-analysis found that 40% of pregnant women with COVID-19 experienced common symptoms such as fever and cough. When compared with non-pregnant women, however, pregnant women appeared less likely to have symptoms like fever and myalgia (muscle aches). Other COVID symptoms, like respiratory issues and development of pneumonia, seemed more likely to occur in women who are pregnant, according to the review. This could, in part, help explain why an increased number of pregnant women need ICU support either during or immediately after pregnancy. These slightly higher numbers, however, could simply be the byproduct of increased COVID testing among pregnant women as well. One thing is for certain—pregnant women with preexisting conditions like diabetes, advanced maternal age, and high body mass index will likely suffer from more severe COVID symptoms, the research notes. This is also the case in the general population, but the concern among pregnant women is for the unborn child as well as the mother. “What we do know is that women (pregnant and non-pregnant) with pre-existing medical conditions are at higher risk for increased severity of COVID-19 should they become infected,” Sands says. “We also know from the study that pregnant women with COVID-19 are more likely to deliver preterm, and their babies are more likely to spend time in the NICU.”
Why Does COVID Lead to Preterm Birth?
The explanation for why pregnant people who’ve tested positive for COVID-19—or have tested positive in the past—have an increased risk of preterm labor and birth is not yet known. “Data related to viruses and preterm birth are relatively scarce, though evidence suggests that the virus can attack and kill trophoblast cells, which can lead to inflammation," says Sands. “This inflammation event can induce a type of cytokine storm, and these events can in turn lead to preterm birth.” Does this mean that new moms and moms-to-be should panic about catching COVID? Not really, says Sands. “When talking about COVID, we must understand that the vast majority of COVID cases are asymptomatic and most people have no idea that they have had it unless they are tested. And even then, the standard PCR test has been proven to be inaccurate 50% of the time, so any numbers that we look at are speculative.” The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit our coronavirus news page.
