Covid-19 during pregnancy linked with higher risk of preterm birth: Study

As per the large US study published in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas journal, people who are infected with the virus that causes Covid-19 while pregnant face a higher risk of having a very preterm birth, as well as any preterm birth.

The risk of very preterm birth, which occurs at less than 32 weeks of gestation, was 60 per cent higher for people infected with Covid-19 at some point in their pregnancy. The researchers at University of California (UC) San Francisco in the US found this.

The researchers said that the risk of any preterm birth or giving birth at less than 37 weeks was 40 per cent higher in those with the SARS-CoV-2 infection.

“Preterm birth is associated with many challenging outcomes for pregnant people and babies, and very preterm births carry the highest risk of infant complications,” said study lead and corresponding author Deborah Karasek, an assistant professor at UC San Francisco.

“Our results point to the importance of preventative measures to reduce Covid-19 infection among pregnant people to prevent preterm birth, including vaccination,” she said.