Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

July 21, 2020

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): A Systematic Review of Pregnancy and the Possibility of Vertical Transmission

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  • A systematic literature review of COVID-19 in pregnant women and neonates (n=21 studies corresponding to 90 pregnancies and 92 neonates) found that the most common symptoms among pregnant women were fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. Three women were admitted to the ICU and required mechanical ventilation, including one woman who died and another who was still receiving intensive care at the time of publication. The most commonly–reported complications were preterm labor (n=29), fetal distress (n=15), premature rupture of membranes (n=6), chorioamnionitis (n=1) and stillbirth (n=1).  
  • Four out of 86 (5%) neonates tested for SARS-CoV-2 were positive. One neonate was negative at birth and positive 24 hours later; a corresponding amniotic fluid sample was positive, but cord blood was negative.  

Ashraf et al. (2020). Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): A Systematic Review of Pregnancy and the Possibility of Vertical Transmission. Journal of Reproduction & Infertility. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32685412