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van Baar JAC, Kostova EB, Allotey J, Thangaratinam S, Zamora JR, Bonet M, Kim CR, Mofenson LM, Kunst H, Khalil A, van Leeuwen E, Keijzer J, Strikwerda M, Clark B, Verschuuren M, Coomarasamy A, Goddijn M, van Wely M. COVID-19 in pregnant women: a systematic review and meta-analysis on the risk and prevalence of pregnancy loss. Hum Reprod Update 2024; 30:133-152. [PMID: 38016805 PMCID: PMC10905512 DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmad030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pregnant women infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are more likely to experience preterm birth and their neonates are more likely to be stillborn or admitted to a neonatal unit. The World Health Organization declared in May 2023 an end to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic as a global health emergency. However, pregnant women are still becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2 and there is limited information available regarding the effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection in early pregnancy on pregnancy outcomes. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE We conducted this systematic review to determine the prevalence of early pregnancy loss in women with SARS-Cov-2 infection and compare the risk to pregnant women without SARS-CoV-2 infection. SEARCH METHODS Our systematic review is based on a prospectively registered protocol. The search of PregCov19 consortium was supplemented with an extra electronic search specifically on pregnancy loss in pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV-2 up to 10 March 2023 in PubMed, Google Scholar, and LitCovid. We included retrospective and prospective studies of pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 infection, provided that they contained information on pregnancy losses in the first and/or second trimester. Primary outcome was miscarriage defined as a pregnancy loss before 20 weeks of gestation, however, studies that reported loss up to 22 or 24 weeks were also included. Additionally, we report on studies that defined the pregnancy loss to occur at the first and/or second trimester of pregnancy without specifying gestational age, and for second trimester miscarriage only when the study presented stillbirths and/or foetal losses separately from miscarriages. Data were stratified into first and second trimester. Secondary outcomes were ectopic pregnancy (any extra-uterine pregnancy), and termination of pregnancy. At least three researchers independently extracted the data and assessed study quality. We calculated odds ratios (OR) and risk differences (RDs) with corresponding 95% CI and pooled the data using random effects meta-analysis. To estimate risk prevalence, we performed meta-analysis on proportions. Heterogeneity was assessed by I2. OUTCOMES We included 120 studies comprising a total of 168 444 pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 infection; of which 18 233 women were in their first or second trimester of pregnancy. Evidence level was considered to be of low to moderate certainty, mostly owing to selection bias. We did not find evidence of an association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and miscarriage (OR 1.10, 95% CI 0.81-1.48; I2 = 0.0%; RD 0.0012, 95% CI -0.0103 to 0.0127; I2 = 0%; 9 studies, 4439 women). Miscarriage occurred in 9.9% (95% CI 6.2-14.0%; I2 = 68%; 46 studies, 1797 women) of the women with SARS CoV-2 infection in their first trimester and in 1.2% (95% CI 0.3-2.4%; I2 = 34%; 33 studies; 3159 women) in the second trimester. The proportion of ectopic pregnancies in women with SARS-CoV-2 infection was 1.4% (95% CI 0.02-4.2%; I2 = 66%; 14 studies, 950 women). Termination of pregnancy occurred in 0.6% of the women (95% CI 0.01-1.6%; I2 = 79%; 39 studies; 1166 women). WIDER IMPLICATIONS Our study found no indication that SARS-CoV-2 infection in the first or second trimester increases the risk of miscarriages. To provide better risk estimates, well-designed studies are needed that include pregnant women with and without SARS-CoV-2 infection at conception and early pregnancy and consider the association of clinical manifestation and severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection with pregnancy loss, as well as potential confounding factors such as previous pregnancy loss. For clinical practice, pregnant women should still be advised to take precautions to avoid risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure and receive SARS-CoV-2 vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janneke A C van Baar
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Elena B Kostova
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cochrane Gynaecology and Fertility Satellite, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Reproduction and Development Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - John Allotey
- Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Center, University Hospitals Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Shakila Thangaratinam
- Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Center, University Hospitals Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Global Women’s Health, Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Javier R Zamora
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Global Women’s Health, Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Clinical Biostatistics Unit, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Mercedes Bonet
- UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP), Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Caron Rahn Kim
- UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP), Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Heinke Kunst
- Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK
| | | | - Elisabeth van Leeuwen
- Amsterdam Reproduction and Development Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Women and Childrens Hospital, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Julia Keijzer
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marije Strikwerda
- Department Vrouw & Baby, Utrecht UMC, location University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Bethany Clark
- Department Vrouw & Baby, Utrecht UMC, location University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Maxime Verschuuren
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Arri Coomarasamy
- Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Center, University Hospitals Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Tommy's Centre for Miscarriage Research, Birmingham, UK
| | - Mariëtte Goddijn
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Reproduction and Development Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Madelon van Wely
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cochrane Gynaecology and Fertility Satellite, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Reproduction and Development Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Lee WL, Yang ST, Wang PH. Encourage women to receive COVID-19 vaccination before, during and after pregnancy. J Chin Med Assoc 2022; 85:737-738. [PMID: 35648142 DOI: 10.1097/jcma.0000000000000745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Ling Lee
- Department of Medicine, Cheng-Hsin General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Nursing, Oriental Institute of Technology, New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Szu-Ting Yang
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Peng-Hui Wang
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
- Female Cancer Foundation, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Ling Lee
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Medicine, Cheng-Hsin General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Nursing, Oriental Institute of Technology, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Shu-Chen Kuo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Nursing, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Peng-Hui Wang
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Female Cancer Foundation, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
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