Perinatal outcomes after admission with COVID-19 in pregnancy: a UK national cohort study
Hilde Engjom, Rema Ramakrishnan, Nicola Vousden, Kathryn Bunch, Edward Morris, Nigel Simpson, Chris Gale, Pat O’Brien, Maria Quigley, Peter Brocklehurst, Jennifer J. Kurinczuk, Marian Knight
Abstract
There are few population-based studies of sufficient size and follow-up duration to have reliably assessed perinatal outcomes for pregnant women hospitalised with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The United Kingdom Obstetric Surveillance System (UKOSS) covers all 194 consultant-led UK maternity units and included all pregnant women admitted to hospital with an ongoing SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here we show that in this large national cohort comprising two years' active surveillance over four SARS-CoV-2 variant periods and with near complete follow-up of pregnancy outcomes for 16,627 included women, severe perinatal outcomes were more common in women with moderate to severe COVID-19, during the delta dominant period and among unvaccinated women. We provide strong evidence to recommend continuous surveillance of pregnancy outcomes in future pandemics and to continue to recommend SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in pregnancy to protect both mothers and babies.