COVID-19-related deaths among women of reproductive age in Brazil: The burden of postpartum

Developmental impairment in children exposed during pregnancy to maternal SARS-COV2: A Brazilian cohort study

OBJECTIVES

To determine the effects of in-utero exposure to maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection on offspring's neurodevelopment during the first year of life.

METHODS

We performed a prospective cohort of babies exposed to SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy, and a control group (CG) of unexposed babies in a low-income area in Brazil. Children's neurodevelopment was assessed using the guide for Monitoring Child Development in the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness context for both groups (at 1,2,3,4,5,6, 9, and 12 months), and the Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3) for the exposed group (EG) (at 4, 6 and 12 months).

RESULTS

We followed 137 children for 1 year, 69 in the COVID-19-EG, and 68 in the CG. All mothers were unvaccinated at the time of cohort inclusion, and maternal demographics were similar in the two groups. 20.3% of EG children and 5.9% of the CG received a diagnosis of neurodevelopmental delay within 12 months of life (P = 0.013, relative risk = 3.44; 95% confidence interval, 1.19- 9.95). For the EG, the prevalence of neurodevelopment impairment using Ages & Stages Questionnaire was 35.7% at 4 months, 7% at 6 months, and 32.1% at 12 months.

CONCLUSION

SARS-CoV-2 exposure was associated with neurodevelopmental impairment, and specific guidelines are needed for the follow-up of these high-risk children to mitigate the long-term effects on children's health.

Clinical characterisation and management outcome of obstetric patients following intensive care unit admission for COVID-19 pneumonia

This study aims to examine the clinical characteristics and mortality-related factors of obstetric patients, who were taken to the intensive care unit due to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study included 31 patients in the peripartum period with COVID-19 pneumonia, followed up in the intensive care unit (ICU) from March 2020 to December 2020. Symptoms, laboratory values, intensive care unit duration of stay, complications, the requirement of non-invasive and invasive mechanical ventilation, and mortality were recorded. The mean age was 30.7 ± 6.2 years and the mean gestational age was 31.1 ± 6.4 weeks. Among the patients, 25.8% had a fever, 87.1% had a cough, 96.8% had dyspnoea and 77.4% had tachypnoea. Seventeen patients (54.8%) had mild, 6 (19.4%) had moderate and 8 (25.8%) had severe pulmonary involvement on computed tomography. Sixteen (51.6%) patients required high-frequency oscillatory ventilation, 6 (19.3%) patients required continuous positive airway pressure, and 5 (16.1%) patients required invasive mechanical ventilation. Sepsis complicated by septic shock and multiorgan failure occurred in 4 patients and all of them died. The ICU duration of stay was 4.9 ± 4.3 days. We have found that older maternal age, obesity, high LDH, AST, ALT, ferritin, leukocyte, CRP, and procalcitonin values, and severe lung involvement were mortality-related factors.Impact statementWhat is already known on this subject? Pregnant women are in the high-risk group for Covid-19 disease and its complications. Although most pregnant women are asymptomatic, severe infection-related hypoxia can cause serious foetal and maternal problems.What do the results of this study add? When we examined the literature, we found that the number of studies on pregnant women with severe Covid-19 infection was limited. For this reason, with our study results, we aim to contribute to the literature by determining the biochemical parameters and patient-related factors associated with severe infection and mortality in pregnant patients with severe Covid-19 infection.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? With our study results, predisposing factors for the development of severe Covid-19 infection in the pregnant patient population and biochemical parameters that are early indicators of severe infection were determined. In this way, pregnant women in the high-risk group can be followed closely and the necessary treatments can be started quickly so disease-related complications and mortality can be reduced.

Clinical, epidemiological and laboratory characteristics of cases of Covid-19-related maternal near miss and death at referral units in northeastern Brazil: a cohort study

Objective: Covid-19 poses a major risk during pregnancy and postpartum, resulting in an increase in maternal mortality worldwide, including in Brazil; however, little research has been conducted into cases of a near miss. This study aimed to describe the frequency of COVID-19-related near miss and deaths during pregnancy or in the postpartum in referral centers in northeastern Brazil, as well as the clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory characteristics of the women who experienced a severe maternal outcome.Methods: A retrospective and prospective cohort study was performed between April 2020 and June 2021 with hospitalized pregnant and postpartum women with a diagnosis of COVID-19 confirmed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Data from five tertiary hospitals in northeastern Brazil were evaluated. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed using Epi Info, version 7.2.5.0.Results: A total of 463 patients were included. Of these, 64 (14% of the sample) had a severe maternal outcome, with 42 cases of near miss (9%) and 22 maternal deaths (5%). Patients who had a severe maternal outcome were predominantly young (median age 30 years) and 65.6% were black or brown-skinned. The women had between 6 and 16 years of schooling; 45.3% had a stable partner; 81.3% were pregnant at the time of admission to the study; and 76.6% required a Cesarean section. The great majority (82.8%) had severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Other complications included hypertensive syndromes (40.6%), pneumonia (37.5%), urinary tract infections (29.7%), acute renal failure (25.0%) and postpartum hemorrhage (21.9%). Sepsis developed in 18.8% of cases, neurological dysfunction in 15.6%, and hepatic dysfunction and septic shock in 14.1% of cases each. The relative frequency of admission to an intensive care unit was 87.5%, while 67.2% of the patients required assisted mechanical ventilation, and 54.7% required noninvasive ventilation. Antibiotics were prescribed in 93.8% of cases and corticosteroids in 71.9%, while blood transfusion was required in 25.0% of cases and renal replacement therapy in 15.6%. Therapeutic anticoagulants were administered to 12.5% of the patients. Of the patients who had a severe maternal outcome, the frequency of respiratory dysfunction was 93.8%, with 50.0% developing neurological dysfunction and 37.5% cardiovascular dysfunction. Hematological dysfunction was found in 29.7%, renal dysfunction in 18.8%, and uterine dysfunction in 14.1%. Hepatic dysfunction occurred in 7.8% of the sample. The near-miss ratio for Covid-19 was 1.6/1000 live births and the maternal mortality ratio for Covid-19 was 84.8/100,000 live births, with a mortality index of 34.4% in the sample.Conclusion: This study revealed a low Covid-19-related maternal near miss (MNM) ratio of 1.6/1000 live births and a high Covid-19-related maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of 84.81/100,000 live births. The mortality index was also high. Most of the patients were admitted while pregnant, were young, married and black or brown-skinned, and none had completed university education. The majority had SARS and required admission to an intensive care unit and mechanical ventilation. Most were submitted to a Cesarean section.

Repercussions of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the pandemic on birth routes: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

To assess the repercussions of SARS-CoV-2 infection (suspected or confirmed) and the context of the pandemic on the birth route and humanized assistance during childbirth.

METHOD

Cross-sectional epidemiological study, nested within a cohort and comparative with the research "Birth in Belo Horizonte: Survey on Childbirth and Delivery".The medical records of three reference maternity hospitals in Belo Horizonte were assessed, with a final sample of 1,682 pregnant women, in the months of May, June and July 2020. A descriptive analysis was carried out, with absolute and relative frequency, and a comparative one, with a Pearson's chi-square test.

RESULTS

It was observed that 2.02% of pregnant women were infected with SARS-CoV-2.Before the pandemic, out of a total of 390 pregnant women, 74.10% gave birth vaginally.During a pandemic, among infected women, 51.61% gave birth via cesarean section and 48,39% via vaginal delivery;among uninfected, 26.99% cesarean sections and 73.01% vaginaldeliveries.

CONCLUSION

There was an increase in the percentage of cesarean sections and a possible influence of the pandemic on the rates of indication of cesarean sections at the time of admission to the maternity ward.

Preterm births prevalence during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil: results from the national database

The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic impacted the health systems between and within countries, and in the course of the pandemic sexual and reproductive health services were the most disrupted. Findings from high-income settings have reported significant changes in preterm birth prevalence during the pandemic period. To understand the possible effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on preterm birth numbers at the Brazilian national level. We compare the number of preterm deliveries during the COVID-19 pandemic period (2020 and 2021) with previous years. We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study taking the period from January 2017 to December 2021 to account. We use individual-level live births data from the Brazilian Live Birth Information System (SINASC), and we estimate the odds ratio (OR) of preterm deliveries using propensity score weighting analysis in Brazil and its regions. During the study period (from 2017 to 2021), about 2.7 million live births were recorded per year, and the missing value for gestational age at delivery was less than 1.5%. The preterm birth prevalence slightly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period (11.32% in 2021 vs 11.09% in 2019, p-value < 0.0001). After adjusting for sociodemographic variables, the OR of preterm births in Brazil has significantly increased, 4% in 2020 (OR: 1.04 [1.03-1.05] 95% CI, p-value < 0.001), and 2% in 2021(OR: 1.02 [1.01-1.03] 95% CI, p-value < 0.001), compared to 2019. At the regional level, the preterm birth pattern in the South, Southeast and Northeast regions show a similar pattern. The highest odds ratio was observed in the South region (2020 vs 2019, OR: 1.07 [1.05-1.10] 95% CI; 2021 vs 2019, OR: 1.03 [1.01-1.06] 95% CI). However, we also observed a significant reduction in the ORs of preterm births in the northern region during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020 vs 2019, OR: 0.96 [0.94-0.98] 95% CI) and (2021 vs 2019, OR: 0.97 [0.95-0.99] 95% CI). Our analysis shows that the pandemic has increased regional variation in the number of preterm births in Brazil in 2020 and 2021 compared to the pre-pandemic years.

Impact of COVID-19 on pregnant women's health: Consequences in obstetrics two years after the pandemic

The pandemic linked to SARS-CoV-2 has profoundly disrupted the health systems and many studies have led to a better understanding of this virus, which is responsible for severe disease, particularly during pregnancy. Pregnancy is a risk factor for severe COVID-19. Term of pregnancy and vaccination status is the main risk factor in addition to classic comorbidities like general population. COVID-19 during pregnancy is responsible for more maternal death, stillbirth, pre-eclampsia spontaneous and induced prematurity. Vaccination is therefore strongly recommended for pregnant patients. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted a psychological and social dimension that should not be neglected in the management of a pregnant patient. Correlation between immunological changes and clinical impact are described in this review. Many conclusions can now be made and are summarized in this article in order to discuss possible future research.

Excess maternal mortality in Brazil: Regional inequalities and trajectories during the COVID-19 epidemic

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has exceeded 6 million known disease-related deaths and there is evidence of an increase in maternal deaths, especially in low- and middle-income countries. We aimed to estimate excess maternal deaths in Brazil and its macroregions as well as their trajectories in the first 15 months of the COVID-19 epidemic.

METHODS

This study evaluated maternal deaths from the Mortality Information System of the Ministry of Health, with excess deaths being assessed between March 2020 and May 2021 by quasi-Poisson generalized additive models adjusted for overdispersion. Observed deaths were compared to deaths expected without the pandemic, accompanied by 95% confidence intervals according to region, age group, and trimester of occurrence. Analyses were conducted in R version 3.6.1 and RStudio version 1.2.1335.

RESULTS

There were 3,291 notified maternal deaths during the study period, resulting in a 70% excess of deaths regardless of region, while in the North, Northeast, South and Southeast regions, excess deaths occurred regardless of age group. Excess deaths occurred in the March-May 2021 trimester regardless of region and age group. Excess deaths were observed in the Southeast region for the 25-36-year-old age group regardless of the trimester assessed, and in the North, Central-West and South regions, the only period in which excess deaths were not observed was September-November 2020. Excess deaths regardless of trimester were observed in the 37-49-year-old age group in the North region, and the South region displayed explosive behavior from March-May 2021, with a 375% excess of deaths.

CONCLUSIONS

Excess maternal deaths, with geographically heterogenous trajectories and consistently high patterns at the time of the epidemic's greatest impact, reflect not only the previous effect of socioeconomic inequalities and of limited access to maternal health services, but most of all the precarious management of Brazil's health crisis.

The association between pregnancy and COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to compare and determine whether there were any differences in clinical outcomes between pregnant and non-pregnant women who had been infected with COVID-19.

METHODS

A literature search was performed in 9 databases on November 20, 2021. The relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was used to estimate the effect of pregnancy on COVID-19 outcomes. The I square value was used to assess heterogeneity, and the random or the fixed-effects model were adopted. Sensitivity and publication bias analyses were performed.

RESULTS

This study included 8 published studies with 859,278 COVID-19 female patients. The incidences of fever and cough among pregnant women with COVID-19 were 19.07% and 28.79%, respectively. Pregnancy was associated with significantly increased risks of intensive care unit (ICU) admission (RR = 2.23, 95% CI = 1.58-3.16) and ventilation (RR = 2.13, 95% CI = 1.06-4.28), but was not associated with a statistically significant increase in mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that pregnant women with COVID-19 have a significantly higher probability of being hospitalized to the ICU and ventilation than non-pregnant women with COVID-19. To avoid these adverse outcomes, pregnant women should take precautions (for example, reduce going out, maintain social distance, and wear a mask) to avoid COVID-19 infection. Finally, additional research into the fetal outcomes is required to better investigate the impact of COVID-19 on pregnancy.

COVID-19 disease and vaccination in pregnant and lactating women

Background

More than 325,000 cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) have been reported among pregnant women in the Americas.

Aims

This review examines the impact of COVID‐19 in pregnant women and describes available evidence on the safety, effectiveness, and immune response(s) to vaccination among pregnant and lactating women.

Content

Multiple studies indicate that pregnant women are more susceptible to adverse COVID‐19 outcomes, including hospitalization, intensive care unit admission, and invasive ventilation than non‐pregnant women with COVID‐19. Furthermore, COVID‐19 in pregnancy is associated with adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. Adverse COVID‐19 outcomes appear to disproportionately affect pregnant women from low‐ and middle‐income countries, likely reflecting inequities in access to quality healthcare. Despite the absence of safety and efficacy data from randomized clinical trials in this subpopulation, observational studies and data from pregnancy registries thus far have demonstrated that vaccination of pregnant or lactating women against COVID‐19 is safe, effective, and results in robust immune responses including transfer of antibodies to the newborn via the placenta and breast milk, respectively.

Implications

These data support vaccination recommendations intending to help protect these vulnerable individuals against COVID‐19 and its sequelae. Randomized clinical studies will further evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of COVID‐19 vaccines in these populations. This review examines the impact of COVID‐19 in pregnant women and describes available evidence on the safety, effectiveness, and immune response(s) to vaccination among pregnant and lactating women.

Treatment with anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies in pregnant and postpartum women: first experiences in Florence, Italy

Purpose

Pregnant and postpartum women are at increased risk of developing severe COVID-19. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are now widely used in high-income countries to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 outpatients at risk for developing severe disease. Very few data are available on the use of mAbs in special populations, including pregnant and postpartum women. Here we present our early experience with mAbs in these two populations.

Methods

Electronic records of pregnant and postpartum women treated with mAbs at Careggi University Hospital, Florence, were retrieved. Relevant data were extracted (age, presence of risk factors for COVID-19, oxygen support, mAb type, gestational age, and pregnancy status). When available, outcomes at 28 days after administration were also included.

Results

From March 1st to September 30th 2021, eight pregnant and two postpartum women have been treated with mAbs at our center. The median age was 31 years (IQR 30–33.5, range 29–38), median gestational age was 24 weeks. Seven patients had additional risk factors. According to the Italian disposition, all patients received casirivimab/imdevimab, with five receiving a 2.4 mg dose and five receiving a 8 g dose. Eight patients improved. One developed myocarditis, considered a COVID-19 complication. Another required a transient increase of low flow oxygen support before improving and being discharged. At a 28 days follow-up, all patients were clinically recovered. We did not observe mAbs related adverse events.

Conclusion

Although preliminary data should be interpreted with caution, it is remarkable how mAbs were well tolerated by pregnant women with COVID-19. Further data on mAbs in this special population should be collected but the use of mAbs in pregnant and postpartum patients should be considered. Even thus oral antivirals are becoming available, they are not recommended in pregnant and postpartum women. This population may specifically benefit from treatment with last generation mAbs.

Use of B-Cell–Depleting Therapy in Women of Childbearing Potential With Multiple Sclerosis and Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder

Purpose of Review

There is considerable heterogeneity in the use of B-cell depletion in women of childbearing age, likely driven at least in part by the discrepancy between the product labels and what is known about the physiology of IgG1, including breastmilk and placental transfer.

Recent Findings

We provide practical considerations on the use of this medication class in women of childbearing potential. We discuss prepregnancy planning including vaccinations, safety of B-cell depletion during pregnancy, and postpartum considerations including breastfeeding.

Summary

B-cell–depleting monoclonal antibodies have shown to be effective for prepregnancy and postpartum prevention of inflammatory activity in MS and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder. B-cell–depleting therapies are large IgG1 monoclonal antibodies, which have minimal transfer across the placenta and into breastmilk. Consideration of risks and benefits of these therapies should be considered in counseling women planning pregnancy and postpartum.