Effects of the COVID Pandemic on Pregnancy Outcomes

Overview

Journal Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol

Publisher Elsevier

Specialty Gynecology & Obstetrics

Date 2021 Apr 9

PMID 33832868

Citations 38

Authors

Maab Elsaddig

Asma Khalil

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Pregnant women and neonates are often categorised as being at high risk during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Numerous studies have demonstrated that the characteristics of COVID-19 disease in pregnant women and non-pregnant women are very similar. However, pregnant women with COVID-19 in the third trimester are more likely than their non-pregnant counterparts to require intensive care, though this may reflect a lower threshold for intervention in pregnant women rather than more serious disease. Compared with pregnant women without COVID-19, pregnant women with symptomatic COVID-19 requiring admission to hospital have worse maternal outcomes, including death, although the absolute risk remains very low. Outcomes of neonates born to women positive for COVID-19 are generally very good, though iatrogenic preterm birth is more common. Findings from these studies highlight the need for further monitoring of the outcomes of pregnant and post-partum women according to trimester during this pandemic.

Citing Articles

"COVID-19 affected me greatly (sigh), imagine I'm being called a mother and yet I'm also a child": the effect of COVID-19 on fertility management practices among women in Nairobi and Kisumu cities, Kenya.

Kwena Z, Wekesa P, Gitome S, Okumu S, Ndunyu L, Bukusi E Front Glob Womens Health. 2025; 6:1428133.

PMID: 40066293 PMC: 11891162. DOI: 10.3389/fgwh.2025.1428133.

Risk of neonatal SARS-CoV-2 infection: a retrospective cohort study based on infected mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus.

Ni J, Zheng Y, Tian J, Zhang L, Duan S Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2025; 16:1483962.

PMID: 39950026 PMC: 11822354. DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2025.1483962.

Maternal and neonatal outcomes in women with COVID-19: A retrospective cohort study.

Nourollahpour Shiadeh M, Zare O, Moosazadeh M, Kiapour A, Elyasi S Int J Reprod Biomed. 2025; 22(10):793-800.

PMID: 39906087 PMC: 11788659. DOI: 10.18502/ijrm.v22i10.17667.

Potential effects of Whatsapp on maternal health services uptake during COVID-19: a cross-sectional study in Ghana.

Safo K, Opoku D, Bonney R, Serchim C, Mensah K BMC Health Serv Res. 2025; 25(1):72.

PMID: 39806395 PMC: 11731184. DOI: 10.1186/s12913-025-12245-3.

The effect of an enhanced fetal growth ultrasound protocol on pregnancy outcomes: A retrospective service evaluation within a single UK National Health Service centre between 2014 and 2022.

Butterfield E, Skelton E Ultrasound. 2024; :1742271X241287925.

PMID: 39555165 PMC: 11563492. DOI: 10.1177/1742271X241287925.

References

Zambrano L, Ellington S, Strid P, Galang R, Oduyebo T, Tong V . Update: Characteristics of Symptomatic Women of Reproductive Age with Laboratory-Confirmed SARS-CoV-2 Infection by Pregnancy Status - United States, January 22-October 3, 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020; 69(44):1641-1647. PMC: 7643892. DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6944e3. View

Neef V, Buxmann H, Rabenau H, Zacharowski K, Raimann F . Characterization of neonates born to mothers with SARS-CoV-2 infection: Review and meta-analysis. Pediatr Neonatol. 2020; 62(1):11-20. PMC: 7585378. DOI: 10.1016/j.pedneo.2020.10.001. View

Li N, Han L, Peng M, Lv Y, OuYang Y, Liu K . Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes of Pregnant Women With Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pneumonia: A Case-Control Study. Clin Infect Dis. 2020; 71(16):2035-2041. PMC: 7184430. DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciaa352. View

Yang H, Sun G, Tang F, Peng M, Gao Y, Peng J . Clinical features and outcomes of pregnant women suspected of coronavirus disease 2019. J Infect. 2020; 81(1):e40-e44. PMC: 7152867. DOI: 10.1016/j.jinf.2020.04.003. View

Liu N, Sun J, Wang X, Zhang T, Zhao M, Li H . Low vitamin D status is associated with coronavirus disease 2019 outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Infect Dis. 2021; 104:58-64. PMC: 7833186. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.12.077. View

Mayopoulos G, Ein-Dor T, Dishy G, Nandru R, Chan S, Hanley L . COVID-19 is associated with traumatic childbirth and subsequent mother-infant bonding problems. J Affect Disord. 2021; 282:122-125. PMC: 7889625. DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.12.101. View

Liu Y, Chen H, Tang K, Guo Y . Withdrawn: Clinical manifestations and outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy. J Infect. 2020; . PMC: 7133645. DOI: 10.1016/j.jinf.2020.02.028. View

Jardine J, Relph S, Magee L, von Dadelszen P, Morris E, Ross-Davie M . Maternity services in the UK during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: a national survey of modifications to standard care. BJOG. 2020; 128(5):880-889. DOI: 10.1111/1471-0528.16547. View

Alserehi H, Wali G, Alshukairi A, Alraddadi B . Impact of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) on pregnancy and perinatal outcome. BMC Infect Dis. 2016; 16:105. PMC: 4776369. DOI: 10.1186/s12879-016-1437-y. View

10.

Pirjani R, Hosseini R, Soori T, Rabiei M, Hosseini L, Abiri A . Maternal and neonatal outcomes in COVID-19 infected pregnancies: a prospective cohort study. J Travel Med. 2020; 27(7). PMC: 7499693. DOI: 10.1093/jtm/taaa158. View

11.

Wang M, Schapero M, Iverson R, Yarrington C . Obstetric Hemorrhage Risk Associated with Novel COVID-19 Diagnosis from a Single-Institution Cohort in the United States. Am J Perinatol. 2020; 37(14):1411-1416. DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1718403. View

12.

Karavadra B, Stockl A, Prosser-Snelling E, Simpson P, Morris E . Women's perceptions of COVID-19 and their healthcare experiences: a qualitative thematic analysis of a national survey of pregnant women in the United Kingdom. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2020; 20(1):600. PMC: 7539281. DOI: 10.1186/s12884-020-03283-2. View

13.

Zhang J, Zhang Y, Ma Y, Ke Y, Huo S, He L . The associated factors of cesarean section during COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study in nine cities of China. Environ Health Prev Med. 2020; 25(1):60. PMC: 7547292. DOI: 10.1186/s12199-020-00899-w. View

14.

Yang H, Hu B, Zhan S, Yang L, Xiong G . Effects of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection on Pregnant Women and Their Infants. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2020; 144(10):1217-1222. DOI: 10.5858/arpa.2020-0232-SA. View

15.

Qiao J . What are the risks of COVID-19 infection in pregnant women?. Lancet. 2020; 395(10226):760-762. PMC: 7158939. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30365-2. View

16.

Zhang L, Jiang Y, Wei M, Cheng B, Zhou X, Li J . [Analysis of the pregnancy outcomes in pregnant women with COVID-19 in Hubei Province]. Zhonghua Fu Chan Ke Za Zhi. 2020; 55(3):166-171. DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.cn112141-20200218-00111. View

17.

Hirshberg A, Kern-Goldberger A, Levine L, Pierce-Williams R, Short W, Parry S . Care of critically ill pregnant patients with coronavirus disease 2019: a case series. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2020; 223(2):286-290. PMC: 7252050. DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2020.04.029. View

18.

Khan S, Peng L, Siddique R, Nabi G, Nawsherwan , Xue M . Impact of COVID-19 infection on pregnancy outcomes and the risk of maternal-to-neonatal intrapartum transmission of COVID-19 during natural birth. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2020; 41(6):748-750. PMC: 7156579. DOI: 10.1017/ice.2020.84. View

19.

Kasraeian M, Zare M, Vafaei H, Asadi N, Faraji A, Bazrafshan K . COVID-19 pneumonia and pregnancy; a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2020; 35(9):1652-1659. DOI: 10.1080/14767058.2020.1763952. View

20.

Khoury R, Bernstein P, DeBolt C, Stone J, Sutton D, Simpson L . Characteristics and Outcomes of 241 Births to Women With Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Infection at Five New York City Medical Centers. Obstet Gynecol. 2020; 136(2):273-282. DOI: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000004025. View