Pregnancy in COVID-19: Current Understanding and Knowledge Gaps

Abstract

Aim: This study aims to study the impact of COVID-19 on health of pregnant women and its effect on pregnancy outcomes. Methods: Electronic databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and Science Direct were searched for terms such as “COVID-19 and pregnancy,” “severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and pregnancy,” “COVID-19 and maternal outcomes,” “COVID-19 and neonatal outcomes” from December 2019 to June 2021. Discussion: Pregnancy-induced immunological susceptibility is responsible for COVID-19 infection. Risk of vertical transmission, even if it is low, still exists. Infected pregnant women are at a high risk of obstetric outcomes such as cesarean section, preterm delivery, stillbirth, neonatal deaths, and neonatal intensive care unit admissions. Mental health of pregnant women is greatly affected due to lockdown, burdened by shift in health care to accommodate for and treatment of infected populations, thereby inadvertently neglecting maternal health care. Recommendations are laid down by international and national agencies regarding screening, treatment, management, and monitoring strategies which are aimed at reducing maternal and neonatal adversity. Conclusion: Researchers all over the globe are in unchartered territory due to the novel nature of virus, thus establishment of causal relationships will take time. However, longitudinal prospective population-based studies should be planned to gain an understanding into the impact of virus on pregnant women.