Perinatal outcomes of COVID-19 affected pregnant women in a tertiary care center of eastern India

Abstract

Pregnancy is an immune-compromised state and pregnancy affected with COVID-19 infection is at a higher risk of adverse perinatal results. Data on feto-maternal outcomes in pregnancies infected with COVID-19 is sparse, which makes it difficult to draw conclusions on vertical transmission.To study the perinatal outcomes of covid-19 affected pregnant women.A prospective observational study was conducted over eighteen months, on 320 COVID-19 positive antenatal patients. Clinical manifestations of pregnancies with COVID-19, demographic profile, pregnancy outcomes were recorded. Important laboratory parameters were assessed along with COVID-19 inflammatory markers like serum ferritin,D-Dimer, CRP etc. Neonatal outcomes assessed included APGAR score, fetal deaths, birth weight, NICU admissions. Neonatal infections were screened by testing for SARS-CoV-2 positivity in neonatal throat swab samples.61.5% of patients complained of pain abdomen, followed by bleeding PV in 1.9%. 52.19% of the patients were asymptomatic for COVID-19 symptoms, followed by fever in 34.69%. Most common risk factor associated was hypothyroidism. Anemia was found in 22%, coagulation parameters were elevated in 30% and COVID-19 inflammatory markers were raised in more than 90% cases. Maternal and neonatal ICU admission rates were 4.69% and 30.34% respectively. Neonatal infection rate was 3.1%.COVID-19 was mainly seen in primigravida, without affecting the birth weight of babies. Coagulation profile and renal parameters were deranged in 30 percent of the patients, without any life any threatening complications. COVID-19 specific inflammatory markers showed derangement in more than 90% cases, although majority of them were asymptomatic. The rate of COVID-19 positivity among newborns was 3.1%.