Listen to this article.
Voiced by Amazon Polly

Even before hard data was available, many pregnant women were taking extra precautions against COVID-19, and a new CDC report indicates that they may indeed face additional risks from infection. “Although the absolute risks for severe COVID-19–associated outcomes among women were low,” the report states, “Pregnant women were at significantly higher risk for severe outcomes compared with nonpregnant women.” Another recent report found that pregnant women with Covid were also more likely to have pre-term births.

In a January-October 2020 study of symptomatic cases among over 400,000 women between the ages of 15-44, the CDC study found that pregnant women were up to four times more likely to require ventilation and two times more likely to die. The results varied depending on ethnicity. Pregnant Latina women faced a higher risk for infection and death compared with nonpregnant Latina women, and regardless of pregnancy status, non-Hispanic Black women experienced a disproportionate number of deaths. To view data on ICU admissions and invasive treatments (ventilation and ECMO life support) broken down by age, pregnancy status, race/ethnicity, see this table.

Based on these reports, the CDC advises pregnant women to

  • Limit unnecessary interactions with persons who might have been exposed to or are infected with SARS-CoV-2, including those within their household, as much as possible.
  • When going out or interacting with others, wear a mask, social distance, avoid persons who are not wearing a mask, and frequently wash their hands.
  • Take measures to ensure their general health, including staying up to date with annual influenza vaccination and prenatal care.
See also
NIH "All of Us" Program Takes on Study of COVID Among Racial Minorities

Dr Denise Jamieson, chair of the gynecology and obstetrics department at Emory University School of Medicine, also commented, “Pregnant women need to be included in the different phases of vaccine trials, so that when a vaccine is available we understand the safety and efficacy of vaccines in pregnancy.”

The data on COVID-19 and pregnant women appeared close on the heels of an American Academy of Pediatrics report stating that infections among children are on the rise. The 61,000 new cases in children during the last week of October “is larger than any previous week in the pandemic,” according to the AAP. However, most cases in children still tend to involve milder symptoms. CDC studies have found that just 54%-56% of children experience fever and cough, compared to 71%-80% of adults, and only 13% suffer from shortness of breath, compared to 43% of adults. Pediatric cases requiring hospitalization, though, are as likely to require ICU care as adult cases, with one in three leading to the ICU.

Koren Thomas
Latest posts by Koren Thomas (see all)
See also
2016 Nursing Research President’s Award Presented to Phyllis Sharps of Johns Hopkins School of Nursing
Share This