COVID-19 and Pregnancy: Unveiling the Risk of Long COVID

COVID-19 has been a global health crisis for the past few years, affecting people across all walks of life. A new study presented at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting brought to light a concerning correlation between COVID-19 and pregnancy. The study reveals that approximately 1 in 10 people who contracted COVID-19 during pregnancy developed long COVID.

Factors Influencing the Risk of Long COVID

The research followed 1,503 individuals across 46 states and Washington, D.C., who contracted COVID-19 while pregnant. The results showed that 9.3% of these individuals developed long COVID. Factors such as obesity, depression or chronic anxiety, and difficulty paying bills increased the risk of long COVID in pregnant individuals. Moreover, those who suffered a severe case of COVID-19 were also at a higher risk. Interestingly, the trimester of infection did not seem to affect the development of long COVID.

Comparison with Non-Pregnant Adults

What was intriguing was that the rate of long COVID in pregnant individuals appeared to be lower than that in non-pregnant adults in the larger NIH RECOVER-Adult cohort. Future research will focus on the outcomes of infants born to these individuals who developed long COVID.

Children and Long COVID

Apart from pregnant individuals, children have also been affected by long COVID, with up to 6 million developing long COVID. Symptoms in children included breathing problems and fatigue. Moreover, children also had a higher risk of autoimmune conditions like type 1 diabetes after a COVID-19 infection, even if the illness had been mild or asymptomatic.

Impact on Quality of Life

It was found that 63.6% of women reported symptoms lasting longer than 12 weeks (post-COVID), with fatigue being the most frequently reported symptom. Those experiencing post-COVID reported a significantly lower quality of life. This underlines the importance of long-term follow-ups for women who experienced a COVID-19 infection during pregnancy.

Severe Disease and Complications

Pregnant individuals infected with SARS CoV 2 were found to be at higher risk for severe disease, complications during pregnancy, and even death. Physical and immunological changes that occur during pregnancy make pregnant people more susceptible to severe disease, pregnancy complications, and death. Complications such as preeclampsia, miscarriages, and preterm birth were more prevalent in pregnant individuals infected with SARS CoV 2.

Mental Health Outcomes

COVID-19 has also taken a toll on the mental health of pregnant women, with many reporting symptoms of anxiety, depression, and burnout due to specific concerns such as fear of giving birth alone and fear of consequences due to lockdown restrictions. This highlights the need for healthcare providers to prioritize stability, predictability, and minimizing disruptions to prenatal care, as well as broad-based screening to identify women at risk of depression and anxiety.