Pregnant women have a higher risk of complications associated with covid-19

Pregnant women are at a higher risk of developing complications if they contract covid-19 than non-pregnant women, which makes them a risk group for the new coronavirus. This is the conclusion of a study by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States of America, now published.

The survey came from a sample of about 400,000 women of reproductive age (between 15 and 44 years old) with laboratory test confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection (between January 30 and October 3) and with symptoms, of which 23,400 in pregnancy.

According to the study, pregnant women were significantly more likely than non-pregnant women to need intensive care: 10.5 out of a thousand cases, compared with 3.9 out of a thousand. The risk of needing mechanical ventilation and extracorporeal blood oxygenation was twice as high.

The likelihood of the pregnant woman dying was even greater than the likelihood of the non-pregnant woman: 34 deaths (1.5 per thousand cases) were reported among 23,434 symptomatic pregnant women and 447 (1.2 per thousand cases) among 386,028 women who were not expecting a baby, “reflecting a 70% increase in the risk of death associated with pregnancy,” the study said. A risk that increases with increasing age of pregnant women: those aged 35 to 44 were nearly four times more likely to need invasive ventilation and twice as likely to die than women who were not pregnant of the same age according to the study.

Researchers argue that, “to reduce the risk of serious illness and death from covid-19, pregnant women should be advised of the importance of seeking immediate medical attention if they experience symptoms and that measures to prevent SARS infection- CoV-2 should be emphasized to pregnant women and their families during all medical visits, including antenatal visits. ” “Understanding the risks associated with covid-19 among pregnant women is important for preventative counseling, medical care and treatment,” they point out.

The higher risk can be explained by the physiological changes experienced during pregnancy, including increased heart rate and oxygen consumption, decreased lung capacity, decreased immunity, and increased risk of thromboembolic disease.