As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to linger, more data are becoming available about what possible links there may be between COVID-19 infection in pregnancy and risks to mothers and their babies. In this study, research teams from around the world came together to study pregnant women with COVID-19 infection to ask what outcomes in mothers or their babies could be linked to COVID-19. Researchers found the risk for preeclampsia was 76% higher in a study group of 706 women who had COVID-19 during pregnancy (compared to a group of pregnant women without COVID-19 diagnosis). In a smaller analysis in their study of only pregnant women with COVID-19 infection but without any symptoms (i.e., asymptomatic), researchers still found a 63% increased risk for preeclampsia in the asymptomatic women. Researchers also found increased risks for severe infection and preterm birth in women with COVID-19 infection in pregnancy. Studies like these are important to understand how COVID-19 illness may affect pregnant women and can be taken into account when making decisions about social distancing, masking, and vaccination.
LINK: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33885740/
Each quarter, our team of researchers reviews the most current studies related to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and selects those studies they feel will be of greatest interest to our community to summarize.
Special thanks to our volunteer research team, who under the leadership of Dr. Elizabeth Sutton, make Research Roundup possible: Alisse Hauspurg, MD Felicia LeMoine, MD Jenny Sones, PhD, DVM, and Robin Trupp, PhD, RN.
Your story is needed to improve outcomes for moms like you. Add your voice to critical preeclampsia research to ensure that every story is heard.
Frequently asked questions about the Preeclampsia Registry, a patient-driven registry and biobank.
The Preeclampsia Foundation offers research funding, study recruitment, and other patient engagement services to researchers.
We provide research grant funding to advance progress towards detection, prevention, or treatment of preeclampsia, HELLP syndrome, and other hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
Preeclampsia is a major cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Prompt and accurate diagnosis is necessary to prevent adverse outcomes. A study was completed to determine the accura...
Predicting preeclampsia has proven to be a challenge. Researchers have documented many differences in early pregnancy between those who eventually develop preeclampsia and those who do not. These incl...
Summary by Dr. Jen Mitchell The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) guidelines changed in 2021 to help prevent preeclampsia. Lo...
Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), including preeclampsia, affect 1 in 6 pregnancies. HDP is a general term for a range of mild to severe outcomes. Until now there has not been a reliabl...
By Amanda Yang Although there is no definitive treatment for preeclampsia, early screening and detection can allow patients to ensure proper management throughout the remainder of the pregnancy. Cur...