SARS-CoV-2 in pregnancy—More hints of rare complications

Respiratory viral infections pose substantial risks to maternal and perinatal health, which, in turn, can inform important vaccination and antiviral recommendations. Influenza, for example, carries risk of both more severe disease during pregnancy and adverse perinatal outcomes such as fetal loss, motivating a strong recommendation from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) for vaccinating individuals who are or will become pregnant. Infection with SARS-CoV-2 confers outsized maternal risk in pregnancy, including for developing severe COVID-19, with poor outcomes including respiratory failure and death. The impact of maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection on perinatal outcomes and congenital anomalies has been more difficult to determine, with studies of variable strength demonstrating higher rates of anomalies and others demonstrating no risk.

George L Anesi, Arturo Casadevall