What: A study on COVID-19 and pregnancy shows that individuals infected with the virus during pregnancy have an increased risk of preterm births, among other challenges. Researchers tracked a large group of pregnant individuals, finding a correlation between COVID-19 infections and higher rates of premature delivery, further emphasizing the ongoing risks to maternal health posed by the virus.

Key line: ” ‘This study revealed that women who became pregnant after the start of the pandemic were more likely to experience preterm birth, low birthweight and the need for NICU services – regardless of whether they had COVID-19 infections during their pregnancy – and that women with more severe infections and who experienced them during the latter stages of pregnancy were also at higher risk,’ says Jihong Liu, professor of epidemiology and biostatistics and the corresponding author of the paper.”

Source: Arnold School of Public Health