The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Level of Physical Activity, Emotional State, and Health Habits of Women in Late Pregnancy and Early Puerperium.

The aim of the study was to determine the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the level of physical activity in the last trimester, the risk of developing postnatal depression, and general health habits in late pregnancy and the early postpartum period. METHODS: The study population was women 1-8 days postpartum. Participants were divided into three groups depending on when they were recruited: (1) prepandemic (Ppan: n = 252, December 2019-March 2020), (2) COVID1 group (Cov1: n = 262, May 2020-September 2020), and (3) COVID2 group (Cov2: n = 226, June 2021-September 2021). The Ppan group included women from before the pandemic. The Cov1 group included patients after some restrictions were lifted. The Cov2 group included women after vaccinations became available. Research tools included a demographical questionnaire (age, education, childbirth details), the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire (PPAQ), the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and the Health Behavior Inventory (IZZ). RESULTS: Regression analysis showed that regardless of other variables, women who gave birth during the pandemic spent less energy on total physical activity compared to the prepandemic group (Cov1: ß = -18.930, 95%CI: -36.499 to -1.361; Cov2: ß = -26.527, 95%CI: -44.322 to -8.733). We also found that as the risk of depression increased, engagement in general health habits decreased during the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: The Covid-19 pandemic decreased the level of some subdomains of physical activity in pregnant women, with a general negative correlation between emotional state and healthy habits.

The COVID-19 Pandemic and Levels of Physical Activity in the Last Trimester, Life Satisfaction and Perceived Stress in Late Pregnancy and in the Early Puerperium.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the levels of physical activity during the third trimester of pregnancy, life satisfaction and stress in women in late pregnancy and early postpartum. METHODS: The study was conducted among 740 patients of maternity wards in Cracow hospitals on days 1-8 postpartum. Patients who were surveyed before the pandemic (December 2019-March 2020) were included in the prepandemic group (PPan: n = 252). The second group of women (COVID 1 group, Cov1: n = 262) was examined in the early stages of the pandemic (May-September 2020). In turn, participants who were surveyed during the population vaccination campaign (June-September 2021) were qualified to the COVID 2 group (Cov2: n = 226). The research tools used were the original questionnaire in addition to standardized questionnaires assessing physical activity in the last trimester of pregnancy (the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire); previous life satisfaction (the Satisfaction with Life Scale); and stress levels during the last month (the Perceived Stress Scale). RESULTS: During the pandemic, women reduced the level of energy spent on total physical activity; nevertheless, statistically significant differences were found only between the PPan and Cov2 groups (p = 0.001). At the early stages of the pandemic, patients significantly reduced mobility activities (Cov1 vs. PPan: p < 0.001; Cov1 vs. Cov2: p = 0.007), while late in the pandemic they spent less energy on household activities (Cov2 vs. PPan: p = 0.002, Cov2 vs. Cov1: p = 0.002). There were no differences in the levels of stress and life satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the level of physical activity; however, it did not change levels of perceived stress and life satisfaction in women in late-stage pregnancy and in the early puerperium.

Pregnancy and Childbirth in the COVID-19 Era-The Course of Disease and Maternal-Fetal Transmission.

From the beginning of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, special attention has been paid to pregnant women and to monitoring comorbidities, such as gestational diabetes and hypertension, which could increase their risk of disease and death. The purpose of this review is to synthesize the available knowledge on the course of COVID-19 in pregnant women as well as the risk of maternal-fetal transmission. The study indicated that the course of COVID-19 is worse in pregnant women who are more often admitted to intensive care units or who require mechanical ventilation than nonpregnant women with COVID-19. Some symptoms, such as dyspnea and cough, were similar to those observed in nonpregnant women, but fever, headache, muscle aches, chills, and diarrhea were less frequent. A study revealed that premature delivery and cesarean section were more common in pregnant women diagnosed with COVID-19. In addition, recent studies confirm the possibility of intrauterine maternal-fetal transmission by positive genetic tests and the presence of IgM in newborns just after delivery; at the moment, the probability of transmission through mother's milk is inconclusive. Considering all the above, a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is an important factor that threatens the health and life of both the mother and the fetus, but further studies are still needed.