Pregnant women, especially from ethnic minorities, are at increased risk of severe COVID-19, according to a global study, according to the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post.
Expectant mothers are also more likely to end up in an intensive care unit or require invasive ventilation than non-pregnant women of reproductive age who are infected with the virus.
Preexisting conditions in pregnant women, such as obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes, also increase the risks, according to a study by the University of Birmingham in the UK and the World Health Organization.
The results, published in the BMJ, are based on an ongoing study known as a “live systematic review,” which began in April 2020. The findings are based on 192 international studies of the impact of COVID-19 on pregnant women and their babies.
Lead researcher Dr. John Allotey of the WHO Collaborating Center for Global Women’s Health at the University of Birmingham says: “Pregnant women should be considered at high risk, especially those with identified risk factors.”
But the scientist assured the mothers that the risks to their babies were “very low.”
The review found that one in 10 pregnant and newly-born women who attend or are hospitalized for any reason have been confirmed to have COVID-19.
But the mortality rate in this category was low – only 0.02 percent, while 339 pregnant women with confirmed COVID-19 died for various reasons. These numbers are based on 41,664 women in 59 studies. The review found that overall rates of stillbirth and neonatal mortality were also low in women with suspected or confirmed coronavirus.
The study found that the most common symptoms of Covid-19 in pregnant women were fever (40 percent) and cough (41 percent), and that they were more likely to have asymptomatic infection than non-pregnant women of reproductive age.
Maternal age, high body mass index, ethnicity, and pre-existing comorbidities, including chronic hypertension and diabetes, have been identified as risk factors for pregnant women who develop severe COVID-19.
New data from the review also showed that pregnancy-specific conditions such as preeclampsia and gestational diabetes may be associated with severe COVID-19. But the researchers say it’s too early to tell how strong the link is, and more data is needed.
Research Officer Professor Shaquila Tangaratinam said: “Pregnant women and healthcare providers will need to consider the additional risks that pregnant women with COVID-19 face when making decisions such as using a vaccine if proposed to prevent COVID-19. .. “
She added: “In today’s fast-paced evidence environment, our lively systematic review, backed up by robust methods and continually updated at regular intervals, is critical to addressing important research questions and health policy and clinical decision-making.”
Further international research, recently published in PLoS One, found that a high proportion of pregnant women felt stressed, depressed, or lonely in the midst of the pandemic.
A survey conducted in May and June 2020 found high levels of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder associated with coronavirus among pregnant women and women who recently gave birth.
The study, conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health TH Chan, was conducted in 64 countries and 12 languages, and involved 6,894 participants.
The women provided information on demographics, exposure to coronavirus and their fears, information seeking behavior, COVID-19 prevention behavior and mental health symptoms.
The study found that 31 percent of pregnant or newly-born women had increased anxiety and depression, 53 percent experienced loneliness, and 43 percent reported post-traumatic stress disorder associated with COVID-19, despite the fact that only 2 percent were diagnosed with the virus.
These rates were higher than reported for the general population during the pandemic and for women in late pregnancy or recently giving birth before the pandemic.
The study also found that women who seek information from any source – including social media, news, or word of mouth – five or more times a day are more than twice as likely to experience increased post-traumatic stress, anxiety, or depression.
It was found that women who took health and safety precautions did not suffer negative effects on their mental health. Although 93 percent of women surveyed practiced hand hygiene and 84 percent reported wearing a mask, this behavior was not associated with symptoms of anxiety or depression.
Leading researchers Karestan Coenen and Archana Basu said, “Our results show that worldwide, the mental health of pregnant women and young mothers continues to be another victim of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mental health and wellbeing of the mother are critical to mothers and are the foundation for healthy child development. It is imperative that maternal mental health is fully integrated into standard antenatal and postnatal care. ”
As the South China Morning Post points out, a startling report was published in the April issue of the medical journal The Lancet that the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in preventable deaths in pregnant women and their babies. Data from 40 studies in 17 countries over the past year showed that stillbirth and maternal mortality rates rose by a third.
In part, this increase was due to fewer pregnant women seeking medical attention for fear of contracting the coronavirus.
See also: The most dangerous coronaviruses were found in bats in Sochi
.