COVID-19 During Pregnancy Increases Preeclampsia Risk
Preeclampsia and COVID-19: results from the INTERCOVID prospective longitudinal study
The INTERCOVID study was a large research study completed in October 2020 of over 2,000 pregnant women and their babies from 18 countries. The study enrolled both pregnant women who had and didn’t have COVID and followed them to see how they and their babies did, rather than just looking back at an old database. That study found that pregnant individuals with COVID-19 had an almost two-fold higher risk of preeclampsia, as well as other adverse outcomes including maternal mortality, severe infection, and preterm birth compared to pregnant individuals without COVID-19.
These authors used results from the INTERCOVID data to explore the independent link between COVID-19 during pregnancy and preeclampsia and its effects on the health of mothers and babies. Risk factors for preeclampsia (like obesity, pre-existing hypertension, and diabetes) were examined in each group (women with COVID-19 and women without), and outcomes were compared between pregnant women with COVID-19, with only preeclampsia, with COVID and preeclampsia, or with neither condition.
Results showed that COVID-19 during pregnancy was strongly associated with preeclampsia, independent of any risk factors or preexisting conditions. This was especially true in women who had never before given birth (nulliparous). Both COVID-19 and preeclampsia were associated with poor neonatal outcomes and adverse maternal outcomes. The severity of COVID-19 was not a factor in this association.
Take home message: COVID-19 during pregnancy is strongly associated with preeclampsia. Women with preeclampsia are particularly vulnerable to the risks from COVID-19.
Link: https://www.ajog.org/article/S0002-9378(21)00561-5/fulltext
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