THD NewsDesk, Ahmedabad: A study conducted earlier this year by a team of gynecologists at SVP Hospital run by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation connected with NHL Municipal Medical College found COVID-19 to be less fatal in pregnant women.
Unlike the H1N1 virus, which incited a lot of deaths among pregnant women, COVID-19 has a mild effect on pregnant women. The study, published in the International Journal of Reproduction, Contraception, Obstetrics, and Gynecology, found that out of the 125 pregnant women admitted in the hospital, not a single one suffered a fatality.
94 live births were observed during the course of the study apart from two deaths post-delivery and three abortions. Out of the 94 live births, two twins were also born. All the newborns were tested for COVID-19 and only 156 came out positive.
The researchers involved with the study included Dr. Sapna Shah, Dr. Sushma Shah, Dr. Pushpa Yadav, Dr. Babulal Patel, and Dr. Tanmay Chudasama from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, NHMLC.
Out of the women observed, three fourth were in the age group of 21 to 30 years. Out of 125 women, 30% had been in contact with an infected person. Their most common symptoms were cough and fever. According to the study, 38% of women displayed no symptoms. Almost 60% of the women were in their third trimester.about 64% of the patients exhibited elevated C- reactive protein levels, this was recorded as a result of the impact of COVID-19 on these patients, as per the researchers.
Upon CT scan, 19 patients were found to have lung patches and with high SGPT levels in 36% of the soon- to- be mothers.
The study concluded that,
“Currently, there is no evidence that pregnant women are at greater risk to succumb to COVID-19 infection and experience severe pneumonia. This preliminary study, however, does not rule out the possibility of vertical transmission of SARS-CoV- 2 when it manifests towards the end of pregnancy,”
The study also mentioned that no escalated risk of abortion or preterm delivery was found in positive patients.
It is a relief to know that the newly born children and their mothers have a lower risk of COVID-19 induced deaths, it makes an already problematic situation of the pandemic slightly less worrisome.