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Covid-19 can also complicate a pregnancy. According to the results, they show that the results of a study that has been published in
«Nature Medicine». the most frequent complications were premature births, stillbirths, and newborn deaths, which are more common among women who have the virus 28 days or less before their due date.
The researchers say that these data should serve to raise awareness of the importance of vaccination in pregnant women, whose vaccination rates are much lower than those of women in the general population.
The team analyzed data related to all pregnant women in Scotland. They included more than 87,000 women who were pregnant between the start of vaccination in December 2020 and October 2021.
Acceptance of vaccination during the study period was lower in pregnant women, compared to women aged 18 to 44 in the general population.
About 32% of pregnant women who gave birth in October 2021 were fully vaccinated, meaning more than 14 days had passed since the second vaccination, compared to 77% of the general female population ages 18 to 44 years.
Since the start of Scotland’s vaccination program, a total of 4,950 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed during pregnancy, with 77% of these cases in unvaccinated women.
About 12% of COVID-19 cases occurred in partially vaccinated pregnant women, those who had only received one dose of the vaccine or had been diagnosed less than 14 days after their second dose.
These data are especially significant when compared to 11% of cases in fully vaccinated women.
The team also analyzed data on prolonged perinatal deaths, which are defined as the death of a baby in the womb after 24 weeks of pregnancy, or in the first 28 days after birth.
They found that the perinatal mortality rate among babies born within 28 days after their mother developed Covid-19 was 23 per 1,000 births.
All infant deaths occurred in women who were not vaccinated against Covid-19 at the time of infection.
In addition, about 17% of babies born within 28 days after their mother developed Covid-19 were born prematurely, more than three weeks before the expected date.
The researchers then compared this data with the rates of history of long-term perinatal deaths and preterm births, which are the rates for all babies born in Scotland, regardless of whether their mother had previously had Covid-19 or been vaccinated.
The overall perinatal mortality rate during the Scottish pandemic was 6 per 1,000 and the preterm birth rate was 8%.
The experts emphasized that it is not possible to say whether Covid-19 directly contributed to the deaths or preterm births, as they did not have access to detailed clinical records of the women.
Hospitalization and critical care were also significantly more frequent in pregnant women with Covid-19 who were not vaccinated at the time of diagnosis than in vaccinated pregnant women: 98% of women with Covid-19 during pregnancy who were admitted in intensive care were unvaccinated.
The team also monitored complication rates in women who received a Covid-19 vaccine during pregnancy.
Perinatal mortality and preterm birth rates in women within 28 days of receiving the vaccine were very similar to the reference rates of four per 1000 and eight percent, respectively, providing greater reassurance about the safety of vaccination during pregnancy.
COPS co – director Sarah Stock of
Instituto Usher from
Edinburgh University, who is also a consulting obstetrician, said: “Our data adds to the evidence that vaccination in pregnancy does not increase the risk of pregnancy complications, but Covid-19 does.”
“Vaccination against COVID-19 during pregnancy is crucial to protect women and babies from the preventable and life-threatening complications of COVID-19.”
“The acceptance of the vaccine has been much lower in women pregnant women than in non-pregnant women of similar age in Scotland. As cases of Omicron continue to increase, I strongly advise all pregnant women to accept the offer of a vaccine or booster, as this will help protect them and their unborn child. “
Study co-director Rachael Wood, a public health medicine consultant from
Public Health Scotland, states that “these data provide valuable information on Covid-19 infections and vaccines among pregnant women.”
“It is clear that vaccination is the safest and most effective way for pregnant women to protect themselves and their babies from severe Covid-19 disease.”
“Vaccination can be administered at any stage of pregnancy, so I highly recommend to women who are pregnant or expecting to become pregnant get fully vaccinated as soon as possible», The researchers agree.
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