Clinical characteristics and perinatal outcomes of women with COVID-19
in Wuhan: retrospective case series
Abstract
Background This study was undertaken to evaluate the clinical
characteristics and perinatal outcomes of pregnant women with COVID-19
in different trimesters and to determine the possibility of vertical
transmission of the disease. Methods Medical records of 25 consecutive
pregnant women with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 who were admitted to
Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China, from Feb 1 to Mar 20,
2020 were reviewed. Results Eleven cases were in early and middle
pregnancy, and 14 cases were in late pregnancy. Seven of 25 women
(28.0%) had mild disease, 15 (60.0%) had moderate disease, and 3
(12.0%) had severe disease. The most common symptoms of patients were
fever (48.0%) and cough (48.0%), though 7 (28.0%) of them were
asymptomatic at admission. Fever was more prevalent in early and middle
pregnancy than in late pregnancy (72.7% vs. 28.6%, P=0.028). Among
patients in early and middle pregnancy, there were 1 spontaneous
abortion and 3 induced abortions, but no intrauterine growth restriction
was observed among ongoing pregnancies. All 14 patients in late
pregnancy underwent a cesarean section, with 4 premature deliveries
(28.6%). No neonatal asphyxia or death was recorded. Nasopharyngeal
swab samples from 6 neonates were tested for SARZ-CoV-2, and all were
negative. In one neonate, the anal swab was positive for SARS-CoV-2, and
IgG and IgM were increased. Conclusions The clinical characteristics of
COVID-19 in early and middle pregnant women were similar to those in
late pregnancy. There is a potential risk of vertical transmission in
SARS-CoV-2.