New research has uncovered some of the potential complications that can arise from a positive coronavirus diagnosis in pregnancy, NIH explains.

The study, spearheaded by Torri Metz, MD, of the University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City as well as Rebecca Clifton, PhD, of the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University, discovered that women who experience severe COVID-19 symptoms in pregnancy are at high risk of complications both during and after their pregnancies, Cancer Health reports.

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The researchers presented their findings on January 28, 2021 at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s virtual meeting. During the research, over 1,2000 mothers diagnosed with coronavirus during pregnancy were studied, delivering their babies at 33 different hospitals. The research was carried out between March 1st and July 30th of last year. Of the participants, almost half (47%) were asymptomatic. 27% of the women had mild symptoms, 14% suffered from moderate symptoms, 8% exhibited severe symptoms, and 4% were critical. Four of the participants were determined to have died from coronavirus.

COVID-19 patients who demonstrated no symptoms had a much lower risk of developing complications that those experiencing severe symptoms. Participants with extreme coronavirus symptoms were more likely to experience c-sections, postpartum hemorrhage, hypertensive disorders, and also pre-term birth.

The research found that women who experienced severe coronavirus symptoms had a variety of factors in common. They tended to be older in age, have a higher body mass index, and suffering from underlying health issues, including but not limited to asthma, diabetes, seizures, liver disease, and hypertension.

Interestingly, the research also found that the transmission of coronavirus from the mother to child was rare. Only about 1% of the newborns welcomed over the course of the study tested positive for the virus while still in hospital.

This isn’t the only pregnancy-related coronavirus news to make headlines in the past week. Late last month, research revealed that coronavirus antibodies can be transferred to unborn babies from their mother via the placenta. The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal JAMA Pediatrics, found that this occurs in pregnant mothers even when they’re asymptomatic. In fact, the longer the period of time between when the mother was diagnosed and delivers her baby, the higher the number of antibodies are passed to the offspring. The study also did not find any evidence to suggest coronavirus-positive pregnant women can pass the virus along to their newborn.

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Sources: Cancer Health, NIH,