pregant woman applies hand sanitiser to prevent COVID-19
A study on COVID-19 in pregnancy, reported upon in the New Scientist, has revealed that women contracting the coronavirus illness in late pregnancy (after 34 weeks) are seven times more likely to go into premature labour (before 37 weeks) than women who tested positive at any other stage of pregnancy.
The study of more than 5,000 pregnant women from 21 February 2020 to 2 July 2021 was carried out at the Maccabi Health Services centre in Tel Aviv, Israel and some of its findings have contradicted earlier, less inclusive research findings.
For the study, the records of 2,753 women who tested positive for COVID-19 at all stages of pregnancy were anonymously matched with those of pregnant women who did not test positive for COVID-19.
Of the infected pregnant women, 17.4% tested positive in the first trimester, 34.2% in the second and 48.4% in the third trimester. Those women who contracted COVID-19 in the first and second trimesters did not show an increased risk of early labour compared with the non-infected cohort members. However, those who caught COVID-19 in the third trimester were found to be 2.76 times more likely to go into pre-term labour and women who were infected after 34 weeks were more than seven times more likely to go into early labour.
The COVID-19 participants experienced a lower rate of pre-labour rupture of membranes (39.1%) than the women who were not infected (58.3%) and the number of women undergoing caesarean section was similar in both groups.
The research reveals that while pregnant women who test positive for COVID-19 in the third trimester are more likely to undergo a premature birth of their baby, there was no recorded increase in the risk of baby loss in women who contracted COVID-19 than in those that did not.
The findings reinforce the message that pregnant women should take precautions against catching COVID-19; however, it is highly recommended that when women are approaching the later stages of pregnancy, they take all possible precautions to reduce the risk of infection. These precautions should include the following whenever possible:
While it has been shown that wearing a face covering is unlikely to prevent you from catching COVID-19 if you come into direct contact with the virus, it is still a good idea to wear a face mask to prevent the spread of the infection.
Dr Patalon, head of the research and innovation centre of Maccabi Healthcare Services, said that while these results are reassuring, it should be noted that the research was carried out prior to the prevalence of the Omicron strain of the illness. It is therefore necessary for the team to continue their studies in order to provide “real-world data and knowledge” that is useful to the public and decision-makers.