COVID-19 linked to serious complications in pregnancy, new study shows

SALT LAKE CITY— A new study from University of Utah Health found that individuals who are pregnant and infected with COVID-19 are 40% more likely to develop serious complications or die during pregnancy than those who don’t have COVID-19.

The research concluded the severity of symptoms is an indicator of increased risk of pregnancy complications. According to the study, those who were severely ill with COVID-19, were three times more likely “to develop pregnancy complications than those who tested negative or who were less affected by the disease.”

“We already knew that pregnant people are at higher risk for the complications of COVID-19 itself,” said Dr. Torri D. Metz, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist and associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at U of U Health who led the multi-center effort. “Our research is among the first to find that infection with SARS-CoV-2 can elevate the risk of serious consequences related to progression of common pregnancy complications such as developing high blood pressure, having postpartum bleeding, or acquiring an infection other than SARS. This is why we need to make sure pregnant individuals are vaccinated.”

Researchers studied 14,104 pregnant individuals from March 1, 2020, to Dec. 31, 2020. Of those, 2,350 tested positive for COVID-19 during pregnancy or within six weeks of delivery. Of the five deaths that occurred, all of them were within the COVID-19 positive group.

In addition, of the COVID-19 positive group, over 13% developed pregnancy complications while compared to only 9% of those who did not have COVID-19.

The study found that those with more severe symptoms of COVID-19 including the need of oxygen or ICU care were three times more likely to have pregnancy complications.

The study states, “These problems included eclampsia, severe high blood pressure, kidney failure and other end organ damage caused by high blood pressure, sepsis from infections other than SARS-CoV-2, and endometritis requiring prolonged administration of intravenous antibiotics.”

Premature birth was also more likely for those individuals infected with COVID-19.

The study also found that individuals with certain characteristics were more likely to have complications with pregnancy when infected with COVID-19. Those characteristics include: those who have a BMI of 30 or higher and identify as hispanic or black.

Those who had COVID-19 were at higher risk of having  a cesarean birth, 45.4% vs. 32.4% of those who didn’t have COVID-19.

The study will appear in the Feb. 7 issue of JAMA.