Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes of Healthy Pregnant Women With COVID-19 Versus High-risk Pregnant Women: A Multi-Center Case-Control Comparison Study

The purpose of this retrospective, matched case-control study (two controls [healthy control and high- risk control] vs. COVID-19 cases) was to compare the maternal and neonatal outcomes of pregnant women with and without COVID-19. A total of 261 pregnant women from three different countries with and without COVID-19 were included in this study. Several pregnancy complications were more common in high-risk pregnant women compared to COVID-19 cases and healthy pregnant women. These include preeclampsia (p < .01), vaginal bleeding (p < .05), preterm labor (p < .05), premature rupture of membrane (p < .01), requiring induction of labor (p < .05), have lower gestational age on delivery (F (2) = 3.1, p < .05), requiring cesarean section (p < .01), neonatal admission in the NICU (p < .01), and low neonatal Apgar score (p < .01). Nurses are advised to provide equal attention to pregnant women with underlying health issues and to pregnant women infected with COVID-19 in terms of the risk assessment, health care, and follow-up for optimal maternal and neonatal outcomes.

Automated summary

High-risk pregnant women are more prone to various pregnancy complications compared to COVID-19 cases and healthy pregnant women, including conditions such as preeclampsia, preterm labor, and the need for cesarean section. Therefore, nurses are recommended to provide equal attention to pregnant women with underlying health issues and those infected with COVID-19 for optimal maternal and neonatal outcomes.