1.Maternal Outcomes and Clinical Characteristics of COVID-19 in Korean Pregnant Women during the Early Period of the Pandemic
Youseung CHUNG ; Dong-Hwan CHOI ; John G. ILAGAN ; Juneyoung LEE ; Young Kyung YOON
Journal of Korean Medical Science 2021;36(41):e290-
The present study aimed to compare the clinical characteristics and outcomes between pregnant women and non-pregnant women of childbearing age (20–49 years old) diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during the initial stage of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Korea. This nationwide observational study included the information of COVID-19 patients collected by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency from January 2020 to April 2021. Among 5,647 COVID-19 patients, 2,444 (43.3%) were women of childbearing age and 19 were pregnant. None of the pregnant women died. However, 4 deaths occurred among non-pregnant women aged 20–49 years. None of the 19 pregnant women with COVID-19 were admitted to the intensive care unit: they were admitted to the general ward, and none of them required supplemental oxygen. In conclusion, none of the pregnant women with COVID-19 experienced severe infection or death, unlike non-pregnant women of childbearing age.
2.Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes in Pregnant Women With Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Korea
Youseung CHUNG ; Eun Jin KIM ; Hee-Sung KIM ; Kyung-Hwa PARK ; Ji Hyeon BAEK ; Jungok KIM ; Ji Yeon LEE ; Chang-Seop LEE ; Seungjin LIM ; Shin-Woo KIM ; Eu Suk KIM ; Hye Jin SHI ; Shin Hee HONG ; Jae-Bum JUN ; Kyung-Wook HONG ; Jae-Phil CHOI ; Jinyeong KIM ; Kyung Sook YANG ; Young Kyung YOON
Journal of Korean Medical Science 2022;37(41):e297-
Background:
This study aimed to describe the maternal, obstetrical, and neonatal outcomes in pregnant women with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and identify the predictors associated with the severity of COVID-19.
Methods:
This multicenter observational study included consecutive pregnant women admitted because of COVID-19 confirmed using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test at 15 hospitals in the Republic of Korea between January 2020 and December 2021.
Results:
A total of 257 women with COVID-19 and 62 newborns were included in this study. Most of the patients developed this disease during the third trimester. Nine patients (7.4%) developed pregnancy-related complications. All pregnant women received inpatient treatment, of whom 9 (3.5%) required intensive care, but none of them died. The gestational age at COVID-19 diagnosis (odds ratio [OR], 1.096, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04–1.15) and parity (OR, 1.703, 95% CI, 1.13–2.57) were identified as significant risk factors of severe diseases. Among women who delivered, 78.5% underwent cesarean section. Preterm birth (38.5%), premature rupture of membranes (7.7%), and miscarriage (4.6%) occurred, but there was no stillbirth or neonatal death. The RT-PCR test of newborns’ amniotic fluid and umbilical cord blood samples was negative for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.
Conclusion
At the time of COVID-19 diagnosis, gestational age and parity of pregnant women were the risk factors of disease severity. Vertical transmission of COVID-19 was not observed, and maternal severity did not significantly affect the neonatal prognosis.