Pregnancy and birth outcomes during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic: The MOACC-19 cohort

Abstract

The new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, is devastating for specific groups of patients, but currently there is not enough information concerning its effects on pregnant women. The purpose of this study is to identify the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on pregnancy and the consequences that it could cause. We studied a cohort of pregnant ladies who were tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection by RT-PCR and classified as infected or not infected. The recruitment was carried out in the HUMV hospital, a third-level hospital located in Santander, northern Spain. It started on 23 March 2020 and ended on 14 October 2020. Data from our cohort were compared to another cohort recruited in 2018 at the same hospital. We found that gestational hypertension, placental abruptio, and home exposure to an infected person, among other variables, could be associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. In conclusion, we consider pregnant women a high-risk group of patients towards a possible SARS-CoV-2 infection, especially those who present with conditions such as gestational hypertension or obesity; moreover, we think that SARS-CoV-2 infection could increase the possibilities of having an abruptio placentae, although this result was found in only a few women, so it requires further confirmation.