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Pregnant women infected with the coronavirus are at a significantly higher risk of unwanted complications, including premature births, according to a University of California, San Francisco analysis of all documented births in the state between July 2020 and January 2021 .
In the largest study of its kind, researchers found that the risk of a very premature birth, which occurs less than 32 weeks gestation, was 60% higher for people infected with the coronavirus during their pregnancy. The risk of giving birth at less than 37 weeks – which corresponds to any premature birth – was 40% higher.
“The risk is very real,” said Dr Laura Jelliffe-Pawlowski, lead author of the report and professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at UCSF’s medical school. “It means you and your baby can start your relationship in the world by staying in the hospital for much longer than expected.”
Of the 240,157 registered births analyzed, nearly 9,000, or 3.7%, were diagnosed with COVID-19, based on tests, during pregnancy. The rate of premature birth among those infected was 11.8% compared to 8.7% among those who were not infected, confirming the devastating impact of the pandemic on pregnant women highlighted by previous studies. .
“I don’t think the results were necessarily surprising, but they do confirm that infection during pregnancy can lead to these unwanted results,” said Dr. Deborah Karasek, lead author of the report and assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics, of gynecology and reproduction. Sciences.
For pregnant women with co-morbidities – such as hypertension, diabetes and / or obesity – and COVID-19, the risk of very preterm labor increased by 160% and preterm labor by 100%.
The study also found that existing disparities in COVID-19 rates for communities of color were impacting pregnancy outcomes. The 47% of pregnant women in the study who were Latin American represented 72% of those diagnosed with COVID-19.
“We have to be nimble and be able to talk about the multiple ways we can protect women,” Jelliffe-Pawlowski said. “We need to talk about work policies that allow women to stay home longer, to avoid contact with others, to work in safe places.”
Researchers hope the data will help patients and doctors have conversations about vaccinations and pregnancy, especially at a time when the delta variant is spreading as quickly as social media misinformation about the impacts of vaccines and the disease. fertility.
They are also hoping that data on the risk of preterm birth could inform the public health message about the coronavirus vaccination. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cites experts as saying vaccines are unlikely to pose a risk to pregnant women, but also notes that there is limited data on the safety of vaccines for them. Pregnant women were not included in studies that led to the emergency government authorization of vaccines.
“I hope the evidence will be sufficient,” Karasek said. “At the same time, we have to meet people where they are. This is not a one-off conversation. It’s an ongoing conversation. “
Aidin Vaziri is a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected]
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