For months healthcare officials have stated that while there was a risk of pregnant women contracting the coronavirus to have complications, overall, the risks associated with getting the virus was fairly low. A new study now contradicts that school of thought and states conclusively that if a pregnant woman is diagnosed with the coronavirus and subsequently has symptomatic or severe symptoms she has a higher rate of having a stillbirth, preterm labor, or preeclampsia.

According to a study conducted by the University of Montreal, pregnant women have become one of the highest risk groups when it comes to contracting the coronavirus. This is not only because of the health conditions the expecting woman can face from preeclampsia but from the complications that can occur as well.

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Those complications, according to Medical Xpress, can include delivering a stillborn baby, delivering the baby prematurely, needing to deliver via C-section, the newborn needing intensive care, and more.

Researchers came to this conclusion after reviewing 42 studies that involved 438,548 pregnant people in countries from around the world. What researchers realized after analyzing the data was that pregnant women with the coronavirus faced "double the risk of preterm birth and a 50% increased risk of cesarean delivery in pregnant people with symptomatic COVID-19 than in those with asymptomatic COVID-19," according to the study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Further still, those who had severe reactions to the coronavirus had a "4-fold higher risk of high blood pressure and preterm birth," per the study.

While more studies need to be conducted to see why this happens, according to News-Medical.net, contracting the coronavirus during pregnancy "may lead to vasoconstriction and stimulate an inflammatory response affecting blood vessels."

These findings are in stark contrast to some previous studies that concluded that most women who fall ill from the virus face a low risk. In fact, the Mayo Clinic currently states that "the overall risk of COVID-19 to pregnant women is low." Researchers state that the risks to pregnant women are much higher than once anticipated and that physicians need to be aware of and adjust their care to their pregnant patients to mitigate or treat complications that arise.

Questions are being raised as well about the "risk of maternal, fetal and neonatal morbidity and mortality," according to the study.

As a result of this study, several medical associations are calling for all governments to allow pregnant women and those who are breastfeeding to get the vaccine. According to CBC, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada has stated that it is imperative for pregnant women to get the coronavirus vaccine because at this point the "benefits outweigh the risks" of this group getting the vaccine, even with the limited studies and research available to date.

What is clear is that pregnant women are at risk when it comes to the coronavirus and to say differently at this point is pure negligence.

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Source: News-Medical.netCanadian Medical Association Journal, Medical Xpress, CBC, Mayo Clinic