Call for a unified approach to Monkeypox infection in pregnancy: Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic

Asma Khalil; Athina Samara; Pat O'Brien; Shamez Ladhani

doi:10.1038/s41467-022-32638-w

Call for a unified approach to Monkeypox infection in pregnancy: Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic

Nat Commun. 2022 Aug 26;13(1):5038. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-32638-w.

Authors

Asma Khalil^{1

2}, Athina Samara^{3

4}, Pat O'Brien^{5

6}, Shamez Ladhani^{7

8

9}

Affiliations

¹ Fetal Medicine Unit, St George's Hospital, St George's University of London, London, UK. akhalil@sgul.ac.uk.
² Vascular Biology Research Centre, Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St George's University of London, London, UK. akhalil@sgul.ac.uk.
³ Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
⁴ Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
⁵ The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, London, UK.
⁶ University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
⁷ Paediatric Infectious Diseases Research Group and Vaccine Institute, Institute of Infection and Immunity, St George's University of London, London, UK.
⁸ Immunisation and Countermeasures Division, Public Health England, London, UK.
⁹ British Paediatric Surveillance Unit, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, London, UK.

Abstract

In the current monkeypox outbreak, vaccination and treatment of pregnant women are recommended only if the benefits outweigh risks, but the extremely sparse data available limit evidence-based recommendations. We must facilitate a unified consensus approach to rapidly collect robust data. Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, monkeypox has emerged as yet another challenge to the mother-fetus dyad, potentially placing both at risk, if exposed.

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Female
Humans
Mpox (monkeypox)*
Pandemics
Pregnancy