Potential effect of COVID-19 pandemic on pregnancy outcome: a prospective observational study

Nishat Anam Borna; Shahela Jesmin; Rokeya Khatun

doi:10.18203/2320-1770.ijrcog20242061

Authors

Nishat Anam Borna Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Upazila Health Complex, Paba, Rajshahi, Bangladesh
Shahela Jesmin Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Barind Medical College and Hospital, Rajshahi, Bangladesh
Rokeya Khatun Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rajshahi Medical College, Rajshahi, Bangladesh

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-1770.ijrcog20242061

Keywords:

COVID-19, Pregnancy, Outcome, Maternal health, Fetal health

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has posed significant challenges to healthcare systems worldwide, particularly impacting vulnerable populations such as pregnant women. Physiological changes during pregnancy may increase susceptibility to severe outcomes from COVID-19, necessitating a deeper understanding of its effects on maternal and fetal health. This study aimed to observe the outcomes of pregnant patients diagnosed with COVID-19, focusing on maternal morbidity, fetal outcomes, and the impact on healthcare resources.

Methods: A multicenter, non-randomized, quasi-experimental prospective observational study was conducted at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, Bangladesh, from July 2020 to June 2021. A total of 81 pregnant women with confirmed COVID-19 were included in the study. Data were collected using a pre-prepared data collection sheet and analyzed using SPSS version 26.

Results: The majority of patients were in the third trimester (49.1%) and between 35-40 weeks gestation (83%). Common symptoms included severe cough (26%) and fever (14%). Six patients (7.4%) experienced multiorgan failure, while 3 (3.7%) required mechanical ventilation. There were 3 spontaneous abortions, 52 deliveries (64.2%), and 2 neonates were COVID-positive. Maternal hospital stays averaged 13.1 days (SD±6.37), with a mean breastfeeding interval of 13.3 days (SD±6.44).

Conclusions: COVID-19 had a detrimental impact on both maternal and fetal health, emphasizing the need for improved treatment strategies and resource allocation. This study highlights the importance of further research to better understand and mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on pregnant women.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

Zhu N, Zhang D, Wang W, Li X, Yang B, Song J, et al. A novel coronavirus from patients with pneumonia in China, 2019. N Engl J Medi. 2020 ;382(8):727-33.

World Health Organization. World health organization coronavirus (covid-19) dashboard. World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland. Available at: https://data.who.int/dashboards/covid19/cases. Accessed 01 January 2024.

Zhang T, Wu Q, Zhang Z. Probable pangolin origin of SARS-CoV-2 associated with the COVID-19 outbreak. Curr Biol. 2020;30(7):1346-51.

Mertz D, Geraci J, Winkup J, Gessner BD, Ortiz JR, Loeb M. Pregnancy as a risk factor for severe outcomes from influenza virus infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Vaccine. 2017;35(4):521-8.

Zhou P, Yang XL, Wang XG, Hu B, Zhang L, Zhang W, et al. A pneumonia outbreak associated with a new coronavirus of probable bat origin. Nature. 2020;579(7798):270-3.

Wu Z, McGoogan JM. Characteristics of and important lessons from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in China: summary of a report of 72 314 cases from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. JAMA. 2020;323(13):1239-42.

Zaigham M, Andersson O. Maternal and perinatal outcomes with COVID‐19: a systematic review of 108 pregnancies. Acta Obstetr Gynecol Scandin. 2020;99(7):823-9.

Liu Y, Chen H, Tang K, Guo Y. Clinical manifestations and outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy. J infect. 2020;10(10.1016).

Chen R, Zhang Y, Huang L, Cheng BH, Xia ZY, Meng QT. Safety and efficacy of different anesthetic regimens for parturients with COVID-19 undergoing Cesarean delivery: a case series of 17 patients. Cana J Anaesth. 2020;67(6):655.

Zhu H, Wang L, Fang C, Peng S, Zhang L, Chang G, et al. Clinical analysis of 10 neonates born to mothers with 2019-nCoV pneumonia. Translat Pediatr. 2020;9(1):51.

Duran P, Berman S, Niermeyer S, Jaenisch T, Forster T, Gomez Ponce de Leon R, et al. COVID-19 and newborn health: systematic review. Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública. 2020;44:e54.

Antoun L, El Taweel N, Ahmed I, Patni S, Honest H. Maternal COVID-19 infection, clinical characteristics, pregnancy, and neonatal outcome: A prospective cohort study. Europ J Obstetr Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2020;252:559-62.

Zhang L, Jiang Y, Wei M, Cheng BH, Zhou XC, Li J, et al. Analysis of the pregnancy outcomes in pregnant women with COVID-19 in Hubei Province. Zhonghua Fu Chan Ke Za Zhi. 2020:166-71.

Saravanakumar R, Maniraj SP, Barshan AD, Das S, Hasan H, Alazzam MB. Clustering big data for novel health care system. In AIP Conference Proceedings 2023;2587(1).

Mappa I, Distefano FA, Rizzo G. Effects of coronavirus 19 pandemic on maternal anxiety during pregnancy: a prospectic observational study. J Perinat Medi. 2020;48(6):545-50.