SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in pregnancy during the first wave of COVID‐19 in the Netherlands: a prospective nationwide population‐based cohort study (NethOSS)

• Published in: BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology Vol. 129; no. 1; pp. 91 - 100
• Main Authors: Overtoom, EM, Rosman, AN, Zwart, JJ, Vogelvang, TE, Schaap, TP, Akker, T, Bloemenkamp, KWM
• Format: Journal Article Web Resource
• Language: English
• Published: England John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.01.2022; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: Adult; Body weight; Cohort analysis; Cohort Studies; coronavirus disease 2019; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - etiology; Female; Hospitalization; Humans; Infections; Intensive care; Neonates; Netherlands - epidemiology; obstetric surveillance system; Obstetrics; Overweight; Pandemics; Polymerase chain reaction; Population studies; Population-based studies; Pregnancy; pregnancy complications; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - epidemiology; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - etiology; Pregnancy Outcome; Prenatal Care; Prospective Studies; Public health; Risk Factors; SARS-CoV-2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Young Adult; Netherlands; pregnancy complications; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; obstetric surveillance system; coronavirus disease 2019; pregnancy
• ISSN: 1470-0328; 1471-0528
• DOI: 10.1111/1471-0528.16903

Objective To describe characteristics, risk factors and maternal, obstetric and neonatal outcomes of pregnant women infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2). Design Multi‐centre prospective population‐based cohort study. Setting Nationwide study in the Netherlands. Population Pregnant women with confirmed SARS‐CoV‐2 infection admitted to hospital or in home‐isolation: 1 March 2020 to 31 August 2020. Methods Pregnant women with positive polymerase chain reaction or antibody tests were registered using the Netherlands Obstetrics Surveillance System (NethOSS). (Selective) testing occurred according to national guidelines. Data from the national birth registry (pregnant pre‐coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID‐19] cohort) and an age‐matched cohort of COVID‐19‐positive women (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment; fertile age COVID‐19 cohort) were used as reference. Main outcome measures Incidence of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in pregnant women. Maternal, obstetric and neonatal outcomes including hospital and intensive care admission. Results Of 376 registered pregnant women with confirmed SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, 20% (74/376) were admitted to hospital, of whom 84% (62/74) were due to SARS‐CoV‐2; 10% (6/62) were admitted to intensive care and 15% (9/62) to obstetric high‐care units. Risk factors for admission were non‐European country of origin (odds ratio [OR] 1.73, 95% CI 1.01–2.96) and being overweight/obese (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.51–3.20). No maternal or perinatal deaths occurred. Caesarean section after labour‐onset was increased (OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.09–2.28). Hospital and intensive care admission were higher compared with the fertile age COVID‐19 cohort (OR 6.75, 95% CI 5.18–8.81 and OR 2.52, 95% CI 1.11–5.77, respectively). Conclusions Non‐European country of origin and being overweight/obese are risk factors for severe course of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in pregnancy, risk of caesarean section and hospital and intensive care unit admission are increased. Tweetable Pregnant women with SARS‐CoV‐2 in the Netherlands show increased hospital/ICU admission and caesarean section. Tweetable Pregnant women with SARS‐CoV‐2 in the Netherlands show increased hospital/ICU admission and caesarean section. This article includes Author Insights, a video available at: https://vimeo.com/bjog/authorinsights16903