Management of pregnant women with COVID-19: A tertiary pandemic center experience on 1416 cases

J Med Virol. 2022 Mar;94(3):1074-1084. doi: 10.1002/jmv.27423. Epub 2021 Nov 2.

Abstract

The aim of this study is to share the comprehensive experience of a tertiary pandemic center on pregnant women with COVID-19 and to compare clinical outcomes between pregnancy trimesters. The present prospective cohort study consisted of pregnant women with COVID-19 who were followed up at Ankara City Hospital between March 11, 2020 and February 20, 2021. Clinical characteristics and perinatal outcomes were compared between the pregnancy trimesters. A total of 1416 pregnant women (1400 singletons and 16 twins) with COVID-19 were evaluated. Twenty-six (1.8%) patients were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and maternal mortality was observed in six (0.4%) cases. Pregnancy complications were present in 227 (16.1%) cases and preterm labor was the most common one (n = 42, 2.9%). There were 311, 433, and 672 patients in the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy, respectively. Rates of mild and severe/critic COVID-19 were highest in the first and second trimesters, respectively. The hospitalization rate was highest in the third trimester. Pregnancy complications, maternal mortality, and NICU admission rates were similar between the groups. The course of the disease and obstetric outcomes may be different among pregnancy trimesters. A worse course of the disease may be observed even in pregnant women without any coexisting health problems.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; pregnancy outcomes; pregnancy trimesters.

MeSH terms

  • COVID-19* / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Pandemics
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious* / epidemiology
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious* / therapy
  • Pregnancy Outcome
  • Pregnant Women
  • Prospective Studies
  • SARS-CoV-2