Effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection on fetal umbilical vein flow and cardiac function: a prospective study

• Published in: Journal of perinatal medicine Vol. 50; no. 4; pp. 398 - 403
• Main Authors: Rizzo, Giuseppe, Mappa, Ilenia, Pietrolucci, Maria Elena, Lu, Jia Li Angela, Makatsarya, Alexander, D’Antonio, Francesco
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany De Gruyter 25.05.2022; Walter de Gruyter GmbH
• Subjects: Cardiac function; Case-Control Studies; Circulatory system; COVID-19; Female; fetal cardiac function; Fetuses; Humans; Infections; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; Prospective Studies; SARS-CoV-2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection; Umbilical cord; umbilical vein flow; Umbilical Veins; COVID-19; umbilical vein flow; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection; fetal cardiac function
• ISSN: 0300-5577; 1619-3997
• DOI: 10.1515/jpm-2021-0657

To explore whether severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can affect umbilical vein blood flow (UVBF) and fetal cardiac function. Prospective case-control study of consecutive pregnancies complicated by SARS-CoV-2 infection during the second half of pregnancy matched with unaffected women. Measurements of UVBF normalized for fetal abdominal circumference (UVBF/AC), atrial area (AA) and ventricular sphericity indices (SI) were compared between the two study groups. Chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests were sued to analyze the data. Fifty-four consecutive pregnancies complicated and 108 not complicated by SARS-CoV-2 infection were included. The median gestational age at infection was 30.2 (interquartile range [IQR] 26.2 34.1). General baseline and pregnancy characteristics were similar between pregnant women with compared to those without SARS-CoV-2 infection. There was no difference in UVBF/AC (study groups z value -0.11 vs. 0.14 control p 0.751) values between pregnancies complicated compared to those not complicated by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Likewise, there was no difference in the left and right AA (left 1.30 vs. 1.28 p=0.221 and right 1.33 vs. 1.31 p=0.324) and SI (left 1.75 vs. 1.77 p=0.208 and right 1.51 vs. 1.54 p=0.121) between the two groups. SARS-CoV-2 infection does not affect UVBF and fetal cardiac function in uncomplicated pregnancies.