Expert reaction to preprint looking at characteristics and outcomes of pregnant women hospitalised with COVID-19

A preprint, a non published paper posted by the University of Oxford, looked at characteristics and outcomes of pregnant women hospitalised with COVID-19.

Prof Andrew Shennan OBE MBBS MD FRCOG, Professor of Obstetrics, Department of Women and Children’s Health, King’s College London, said:

“This is by far the largest and most systematic look at pregnancy outcomes in COVID19 involving 427 women.  The outcomes are excellent for the baby, with 97% live births, very similar to a control group.  The chance of serious problems to the mother are very similar to non pregnant populations.  Babies had to be delivered early in 1 in 4 cases, but largely did well as this usually occurred later in pregnancy, and the rare covid infections did not cause poor outcome to the newborn.  Pregnant women can be reassured by this.”

Preprint (not a published paper): ‘Characteristics and outcomes of pregnant women hospitalised with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in the UK: a national cohort study using the UK Obstetric Surveillance System (UKOSS)’ by Marian Knight et al.  This work is not peer-reviewed.

All our previous output on this subject can be seen at this weblink:

Source: UK SMC

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