Short and Medium-Term Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes After COVID-19 Infection

Comparing the maternal and neonatal complications of COVID-19 with a healthy control group is important to identify the most accurate and up-to-date information about the effects of this disease on the health of mothers and neonates.

The study aimed to determine the maternal and neonatal complications and consequences related to COVID-19 infection.

This case-control study was conducted from February 2021 to February 2022 on women who were infected with COVID-19 during their pregnancy to evaluate the short and medium-term maternal and neonatal outcomes and compare them in the control group. Maternal outcomes, such as the rate of miscarriage, preterm delivery, stillbirth, and type of delivery, as well as gestational diabetes and preeclampsia, were evaluated. Indeed, neonatal complications, including hearing impairment, low birth rate, intrauterine growth restriction, and the rate of hospitalization in the neonatal intensive care unit, were evaluated and compared between groups.

In total, 600 women (300 cases in each group) participated in the study. The results showed that the frequency of cesarean delivery in patients with COVID-19 was 38%, while this rate was 20% in the control group. This difference was significant. It was also found that pregnant women suffering from COVID-19 had significantly more preterm labor. Babies born to mothers infected with COVID-19 had a significantly higher hospitalization rate in the intensive care unit than in the control group. Other maternal and neonatal complications were not significantly different between the two groups.

Women who are infected with COVID-19 during pregnancy face new maternal and newborn complications. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out further research on the long-term effects of COVID-19 on the health of the mother and baby in order to determine the appropriate strategies for the prevention and treatment of these complications.