COVID-19 and Pregnancy A narrative review of maternal and perinatal outcomes

As of August 11, 2021, approximately 206 million people worldwide had been infected with SARS-CoV-2. However, limited data are available regarding the effects of COVID-19 infection on pregnancy and maternal and perinatal outcomes. This review aimed to resolve this gap in literature. The MEDLINE®, SCOPUS and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature databases were searched to identify relevant English-language articles published between January 2020 and February 2021. A total of 17 articles describing the outcomes of 762 pregnancies were identified. There were 613 babies born, including 16 sets of twins. Within the cases studied, 12 (1.6%) maternal deaths and eight (1.3%) stillbirths were reported. A small proportion of mothers (3.9%) required admission to the intensive care unit, usually due to associated comorbidities. Rates of caesarean and preterm delivery ranged from 27–100% and 4–50%, respectively. Further research is necessary to determine the effect of COVID-19 infection on early pregnancy.