J Prev Med Public Health . Adverse Birth Outcomes Among Pregnant Women With and Without COVID-19: A Comparative Study From Bangladesh

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J Prev Med Public Health


. 2021 Nov;54(6):422-430.
doi: 10.3961/jpmph.21.432. Epub 2021 Oct 21.
Adverse Birth Outcomes Among Pregnant Women With and Without COVID-19: A Comparative Study From Bangladesh


Sumaya Binte Masud ^{1 2} , Faiza Zebeen ^{1 2} , Dil Ware Alam ¹ , Mosharap Hossian ³ , Sanjana Zaman ⁴ , Rowshan Ara Begum ¹ , Mohammad Hayatun Nabi ² , Mohammad Delwer Hossain Hawlader ²



Affiliations

• PMID: 34875825
• DOI: 10.3961/jpmph.21.432

Abstract

Objectives: Pregnant women are especially vulnerable to respiratory infections such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but insufficient research has investigated pregnancy and its outcomes in women with COVID-19. This cross-sectional study compared birth outcomes related to COVID-19 between Bangladeshi pregnant women with and without COVID-19.
Methods: The study was conducted at 3 tertiary referral hospitals in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from March to August 2020. Pregnant women admitted for delivery at these hospitals with laboratory results (reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction) were analyzed. Using convenience sampling, we included 70 COVID-19-positive and 140 COVID-19-negative pregnant women. Trained and experienced midwives conducted the interviews. Data were analyzed using the t-test, the chi-square test, and univariate and multivariable linear and logistic regression.
Results: Pregnant women with COVID-19 were more likely to give birth to a preterm baby (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.15; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06 to 4.37) and undergo a cesarean section (aOR, 3.27; 95% CI, 1.51 to 7.07). There were no significant differences in birth weight, premature rupture of membranes, and the Apgar score at 1 minute or 5 minutes post-delivery between women with and without COVID-19. All the newborn babies who were born to COVID-19-positive women were COVID-19-negative.
Conclusions: Our study suggests that pregnant women with COVID-19 were more likely to give birth to a preterm baby and undergo a cesarean section. For this reason, physicians should be particularly cautious to minimize adverse birth outcomes among pregnant women with COVID-19 and their newborn babies.

Keywords: Bangladesh; COVID-19; Cesarean section; Communicable diseases; Pregnancy outcome; Preterm birth.