Pregnant Women Face Increased Risk Of Severe Illness Due To COVID-19, Preterm Birth, CDC Studies Show

New York Times: Pregnant Women Face Increased Risks From Covid-19
“U.S. health officials on Monday added pregnancy to the list of conditions that put people with Covid-19 at increased risk of developing severe illness, including a heightened risk of death. While most pregnant women infected with the coronavirus have not become severely ill, the new caution is based on a large study that looked at tens of thousands of pregnant women who had Covid-19 symptoms. The study found they were significantly more likely to require intensive care, to be connected to a specialized heart-lung bypass machine, and to require mechanical ventilation than nonpregnant women of the same age who had Covid symptoms. Most importantly, the pregnant women faced a 70 percent increased risk of death, when compared to nonpregnant women who were symptomatic…” (Rabin, 11/2).

TIME: There May Be a Link Between COVID-19 and Preterm Birth, CDC Says
“Contracting COVID-19 during pregnancy may put expectant mothers at a higher risk of delivering early, according to new data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC’s new report is based on data from almost 4,500 people who were diagnosed with COVID-19 during pregnancy and provided public health departments with information about their pregnancy outcomes. Roughly 3,900 mothers gave information about their baby’s gestational age. Within that group, nearly 13% of babies (about 500) were born preterm — slightly but significantly higher than the 2019 national rate of about 10%…” (Ducharme, 11/2).

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