Impact of COVID-19 on Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes in Pregnancy: A Prospective Study

The Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19), caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a global public health crisis. Pregnant women are known to be disproportionately affected by respiratory illnesses, which are associated with increased infectious morbidity and high maternal mortality rates. Aim: To study the management of COVID-19 in pregnancy and its perinatal outcome. Materials and Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department from March 2020 to September 2020. To evaluate the effects of COVID-19 in pregnancy and to determine the maternal and fetal outcomes in COVID-19 positive patients. In order to evaluate the pattern of caesarean and vaginal deliveries in COVID-19 and non COVID-19 patients, chi-square test was done. Results: A total of 150 COVID-19 positive patients were admitted to the COVID-19 labour room and out of them 142 (94.67%) were antenatal and 8 (5.33%) were postnatal. Total number of the deliveries in this period was 80 (53.33%) and out of them vaginal deliveries were 35 (23.33%) and caesarean section were 45 (30%). A 6 (7.50%) babies with poor Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, Respiration (APGAR) score were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and 70 (87.50%) had good APGAR after delivery, four had Intrauterine Death (IUD). Conclusion: The pregnant women with suspected COVID-19 who need medical care should be transferred to a hospital equipped with sufficient health facilities and fully trained clinicians to take proper care of critically ill obstetric patients for effective management.