Maternal, fetal, and perinatal outcomes among pregnant women admitted to an Ebola treatment center in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 2018–2020

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 18; no. 9; p. e0286843
• Main Authors: Philpott, David, Rupani, Neil, Gainey, Monique, Mbong, Eta N, Musimwa, Prince Imani, Perera, Shiromi M, Laghari, Razia, Ververs, Mija, Levine, Adam C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: San Francisco Public Library of Science 08.09.2023; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Age; Biology and life sciences; Comparative analysis; Congo (Kinshasa); Diagnosis; Ebola virus; Ebola virus infections; Ebolavirus; Epidemics; Fetuses; Health aspects; Health risks; Homeopathy; Immunization; Infants; Materia medica and therapeutics; Medicine and Health Sciences; Monoclonal antibodies; Mortality; Mothers; Obstetrics; Patients; People and Places; Pregnancy; Pregnant women; Prophylaxis; Quality control; Risk factors; Therapeutics; Vaccination; Variables; Viral diseases; Viruses; Womens health; Congo (Kinshasa); West Africa
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286843

This study aims to investigate maternal, fetal, and perinatal outcomes during the 2018-2020 Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Mortality between pregnant and non-pregnant women of reproductive age admitted to DRC's Mangina Ebola treatment center (ETC) were compared using propensity score matching. Propensity scores were calculated using age, initial Ebola viral load, Ebola vaccination status, and investigational therapeutic. Additionally, fetal and perinatal outcomes of pregnancies were also described. Twenty-seven pregnant women were admitted to the Mangina ETC during December 2018-January 2020 among 162 women of childbearing age. We found no evidence of increase mortality among pregnant women compared to non-pregnant women (relative risk:1.0, 95%CI: 0.58-1.72). Among surviving mothers, pregnancy outcomes were poor with at least 58% (11/19) experiencing loss of pregnancy while 16% (3/19) were discharged with viable pregnancy. Two mothers with viable pregnancies were vaccinated, and all received investigational therapeutics. Two live births occurred, with one infant surviving after the infant and mother received an investigational post-exposure prophylaxis and Ebola therapeutic respectively. Pregnancy was not associated with increased mortality among women with EVD in the Mangina ETC. Fetal and perinatal outcomes remained poor in pregnancies complicated by EVD, though novel therapeutics may have potential for improving these outcomes.