Recent study findings from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest there may be a difference in disease severity when comparing pregnant and nonpregnant women with COVID-19. Understanding the outcomes of pregnancy in COVID-19-positive women could prevent adverse outcomes on a large scale, and more data collection on pregnant women with COVID-19 is necessary to understand both the disease progression and the risk for severe illness in this patient population, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Ana Fernandez Menjivar, MSc, DLSHTM, Senior Epidemiologist at GlobalData comments: “While, for the Zika virus, it took approximately six months after peak infection to see the recorded peak in birth defects, Zika did not reach the magnitude of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Any postnatal outcomes associated with COVID-19 will be seen on a global scale. Insight on how COVID-19 infection affects pregnant women could provide a view on how COVID-19 affects the immune system and guide prenatal care.”

Results from a systematic review showed that pregnant women with COVID-19, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) or Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) were more likely to have preterm births, preeclampsia and caesarian delivery; while data from the CDC showed that pregnant women aged 15-44 years with COVID-19 were more likely to be hospitalized, admitted to the intensive care unit, and to need mechanical ventilation than non-pregnant women with COVID-19 of the same age. However, pregnancy was not associated with an increased risk for morality among women ages 15–44 years with COVID-19. Menjivar continues: “Continued collection of longitudinal data can shed light on the immune response that COVID-19 triggers in pregnant women and can lead to a better understanding of the health outcomes in mothers and newborn children.”