Women who have Covid-19 towards the end of their pregnancy are more vulnerable and more likely to have serious complications than those who are infected with coronavirus in the early stages of pregnancy or those who are not infected, according to a new UK scientific research. On the other hand, coronavirus vaccination protects pregnant women, as the study shows, which is why researchers called on pregnant women – who often hesitate – to be vaccinated as soon as possible.
Pregnant women generally do not appear to be more prone to coronavirus infection than non-pregnant women, but they are more at risk of severe Covid-19 if they become infected with the virus. The findings show that preterm births, stillbirths and neonatal deaths are clearly more common in women who have been infected with coronavirus within 28 days or less before giving birth. Also, the total number of infant deaths and the vast majority of serious complications that require admission to the ICU occur in unvaccinated pregnant women. 77% of Covid-19 cases, 98% of serious Covid-19 infections that required ICU admission, and all infant deaths, occurred in pregnant women without vaccination at the time of diagnosis with Covid-19.
Researchers from the Universities of Scotland (Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, St Andrews, Strathclyde) and the Scottish Public Health Agency, led by Dr Sarah Stock of the Usher Institute at the University of Medicine “, analyzed data for all pregnant women in Scotland between March 2020 and October 2021 (a total of 144,546 pregnancies of 130,875 women). Since the start of vaccinations in Scotland, a total of almost 5,000 cases of Covid-19 have been detected in pregnant women, of which three in four (77%) were unvaccinated, 12% had received only one dose (or were diagnosed with coronavirus less than 14 days after the second dose), while 11% were vaccinated with two doses.
The study analyzed data on infant deaths that occurred either in the womb after 28 weeks of gestation or during the first 28 days after birth. The incidence of infant death within 28 days of mother’s infection with Covid-19 was found to be approximately 23 per 1,000 live births, compared with 6 per 1,000 births in the general population of women (excluding Covid) in Scotland during the pandemic. therefore the chance of the baby dying due to complications of Covid-19 is almost five times higher. All infant deaths occurred in women who were unvaccinated against coronavirus at the time of infection.
Also, about 17% of babies born within 28 days of Covid-19 onset in the pregnant mother were born prematurely at least three weeks before the normal due date. The corresponding rate of preterm births in the general population in Scotland is 8%, so the chance of a premature baby is more than doubled due to coronavirus infection.
The study also found that hospitalization and ICU admissions were significantly more common in pregnant women with Covid-19 who were not vaccinated at the time of coronavirus diagnosis than in vaccinated pregnant women. 98% of women with Covid-19 during pregnancy who needed to be admitted to an Intensive Care Unit were not vaccinated.
The researchers stressed that, as the data show, the vaccine is safe during pregnancy. Dr Stock said: “Our data confirm that vaccination during pregnancy does not increase the risk of pregnancy complications, but Covid-19 does. “Covid-19 vaccination is crucial to protect women and babies from life-threatening coronavirus complications that could be avoided.”
That’s why researchers encouraged pregnant women not to hesitate to get vaccinated with a booster dose, as, according to Dr. Rachel Wood of Public Health Scotland, “it is clear that vaccination is the safest and most effective way to protect yourself. pregnant women and their babies from severe Covid-19. “Vaccination can be done at any stage of pregnancy, so I encourage pregnant women or those hoping to get pregnant to be fully vaccinated as soon as possible.”
The researchers stressed the need to make more efforts to persuade vaccinated women who are pregnant and planning to become pregnant, as their vaccination rates are currently well below the general population of women aged 18-44.
Follow Skai.gr on Google News
and be the first to know all the news
.
