Importance of COVID-19 in pregnancy:
- During pregnancy, women experience immunologic and physiologic changes
that could increase their risk for more severe illness from
respiratory infections (1 ,2 )
- Symptomatic pregnant and nonpregnant women with COVID-19 reported
similar frequencies of cough (>50%) and shortness of
breath (30%), but pregnant women less frequently reported headache,
muscle aches, fever, chills, and diarrhea.(mmwstudy)
- Preliminary experience with pregnant patients with COVID-19 suggests
that the clinical outcome of the mother and neonate is often
favorable, but it is unclear how and when these patients gave
birth.3
- The presence of COVID-19 in a pregnant patient raises concerns, as
other types of coronaviruses were frequently associated with adverse
outcomes4
- Covid 19 in pregnancy has not been known to cause severe
disease,though has increased risk of contracting disease due to
immunocompromised state in pregnancy
- Currently, it isn’t clear if pregnant women have a greater chance of
getting sick from the COVID-19 virus or if they are more likely to
experience serious illness5
- Because coronavirus disease 2019 might increase the risk for pregnancy
complications, management should optimally be in a health care
facility with close maternal and fetal monitoring.6
- Authorities and professional societies, such as the Italian Health
Council,7 the English Royal College of
Obstetricians and Gynaecologists,8 have taken a
stance that COVID-19 is not a contraindication to vaginal delivery.