‘birth problems in pregnant women not vaccinated against covid’

This study is published in the ‘Journal of Nature Medicine’.

Women are more likely to have complications than those who have COVID-19 in an earlier stage of pregnancy or who haven’t had COVID-19 at all.

The findings showed that premature birth, stillbirth and neonatal death are more common in women who had the virus 28 days or less before their delivery date.

According to one of the first national studies of pregnancy and COVID-19, the majority of complications, including critical care admissions related to COVID, occurred in illiterate women.

The researchers said more should be done to increase the amount of vaccine in pregnant women, whose vaccination rates are much lower than women in the general population.

The team analyzed data relating to all pregnant women in Scotland. This included more than 87,000 women who were pregnant between December 2020 and the start of vaccination in October 2021.

Vaccinations were lower in pregnant women during the study period compared to women aged 18 to 44 in the general population.

About 32 percent of pregnant women who gave birth in October 2021 were fully vaccinated – meaning more than 14 days had passed since the second vaccine, compared with 77 percent of the general female population aged 18 to 44 was done from

Since the start of Scotland’s vaccination programme, a total of 4,950 cases of COVID-19 during pregnancy have been confirmed, of which 77 per cent are in unvaccinated women.

Some 12 percent of COVID-19 cases were in partially vaccinated pregnant women — those who received only one vaccine dose or were diagnosed less than 14 days after their second dose. This compares to 11 percent of cases in fully vaccinated women.

The team analyzed data on extended perinatal deaths, which are defined as the death of a child in the womb after 24 weeks of pregnancy or in the first 28 days after birth.

They found that babies born within 28 days of their mother developing COVID-19 had a perinatal mortality rate of 23 per 1,000 births.

All infant deaths occurred in women who had not been vaccinated against COVID-19 at the time of infection.

About 17 percent of babies born within 28 days after their mother developed COVID-19 were born prematurely – more than three weeks before their due date.

These data were then compared to the background rates of extended perinatal death and premature birth, which are rates for all babies born in Scotland, regardless of whether their mother had previously had COVID-19 or was vaccinated.

The background perinatal mortality rate during the pandemic in Scotland was six per 1,000 and the premature birth rate was 8 per cent.

Experts stressed that it was not possible to say whether COVID-19 directly contributed to death or premature birth because they did not have access to detailed clinical records for individual women.

Hospital admissions and critical care were also significantly more common among pregnant women with COVID-19 who were unvaccinated than among vaccinated pregnant women at the time of vaccination – 98 percent of women with COVID-19 admitted to critical care during pregnancy was uninfected.

The team also monitored complication rates among women who received the COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy.

Prenatal mortality and premature birth rates in women within 28 days of receiving a vaccine were similar to background rates of four per 1,000 and eight percent, respectively, providing further reassurance on the safety of vaccination during pregnancy.

These findings are part of the COPS study, which provided population-based information for the whole of Scotland on the incidence and outcomes of COVID-19 infection and COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy.

COPS is an offshoot of the EAVE II project, which uses anonymous linked patient data in Scotland to track pandemics and vaccine rollouts in real time.

The research team included scientists from the Universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Strathclyde and St Andrews; Public Health Scotland; and Victoria University of Wellington.

Dr Sarah Stock, co-head of COPS from the Usher Institute at the University of Edinburgh – who is also a consultant obstetrician – said: “Our data adds to the evidence that vaccination in pregnancy does not increase the risk of complications in pregnancy, but does not increase the risk of complications from COVID-19. – does 19. COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy is critical to protecting women and babies from preventable, life-threatening complications of COVID-19.”

“Our national data show that vaccination during pregnancy was associated with a lower risk of serious outcomes for both mother and child,” said Professor Aziz Shaikh, director of the Usher Institute, who led the EAVE II study.

“Vaccine intake among pregnant women has been very low compared to non-pregnant women of the same age in Scotland. As Omicron cases continue to rise, I strongly encourage all pregnant women to be offered vaccinations or boosters. I do because it will help protect them and their unborn child.”

Dr Rachel Wood, Co-Principal of COPS, Consultant in Public Health Medicine with Public Health Scotland, said: “Our data provide valuable information on both COVID-19 infection and vaccination among pregnant women. It is clear that vaccination is the safest. And the most effective way is for pregnant women to protect themselves and their babies from severe COVID-19 disease.”

“Vaccination can be given at any stage of pregnancy, so I strongly encourage women who are pregnant or hoping to become pregnant, to be fully vaccinated as soon as possible,” she said.