TITLE:
Pregnancy Outcomes in Pregnant Patients with COVID-19: A Multicenter Study
AUTHORS:
Mufareh Asiri, Salem Al Suwaidan, Afaf Altweijry, Abdulsamed Almdefa, Saad Alonze, Theba Saud
KEYWORDS:
Pregnancy, COVID-19, Preterm Labor, Miscarriage, Saudi Arabia
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Vol.13 No.1,
January
17,
2023
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was declared a
pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020. The presence
of COVID-19 in a pregnant patient can raise concerns, as other types of coronaviruses were associated with many adverse
outcomes. This study aims to study the effect of COVID-19 on pregnancy
outcomes. Methods: A prospective cross-sectional cohort study within
Central First Health Care Cluster (multicentric), Riyadh, included all pregnant women with a singleton pregnancy diagnosed
as COVID-19-positive. The primary outcome is the severity of COVID
during pregnancy in terms of ICU admission and mortality. The participants were
divided into three groups (preterm less than 37 weeks, the term from 37 - 40
weeks, and late-term after 40 weeks. In
addition, parameters included: Gestational age at diagnosis, symptoms at
presentation (cough, fever), presence of congenital anomalies, IUFD, mode of
delivery, presence of PPH, newborn Apgar score, cord PH, need for NICU
admission, and the newborn becoming infected with COVID-19 were also
measured as secondary outcomes. Results: One hundred pregnant, COVID-19-positive
women met the inclusion criteria; the average age of participants was 31.2
years (SD ± 6.4). Asymptomatic patients represented 54% of participants. Most
of the deliveries occurred at 36 weeks or less as preterm delivery. Cesarean sections represented 55% of our population.
Four-term mothers (12.5%), more than 37 weeks, need ICU admission compared to
13 (25%) preterm cases diagnosed with preeclampsia. No
maternal death. Conclusion: COVID-19 during pregnancy can increase ICU
admission. A high rate of preterm labor, miscarriage, cesarean section, and
newborn testing positive for COVID-19 were observed among our population. No
congenital anomalies related to COVID-19 were observed.