ABSTRACT
Objective: Experts have suggested that earlier delivery, even in non-severe cases, may be beneficial for patients with COVID, and that patients with COVID have higher rates of cesarean section. Factors associated with this increase are currently unclear. We sought to assess demographic and clinical factors associated with cesarean section (CS) in pregnant patients diagnosed with COVID. Study Design: Retrospective cohort of PCR-confirmed COVID positive pregnant patients in a single health system who delivered between March-December of 2020. Fetal death or planned CS excluded. Demographic data, pregnancy characteristics, and specifics of COVID infection ed and compared between patients who had vaginal delivery(SVD) and CS. Secondary analysis performed for symptomatic(sx) and asymptomatic(asx) patients separately. Bivariate statistics used to analyze the data. Multivariate Poisson regression performed to estimate adjusted relative risks. Results: Of 109 COVID positive patients, 19(17.4%) had planned CS. Of 91 with labor, 22(24%) had CS. CS was associated with overall BMI > 39.9(Table1). Non-private insurance and higher maternal age were associated with significantly higher rates of CS. Multiparity was not associated with SVD. Hypertensive disorders(PEC) of pregnancy and intraamniotic infection(IAI) were also associated with CS(Table 1). In regression analyses, symptomatic disease was associated with SVD [aRR 0.41, 95%CI 0.18, 0.93]. Relative risk of CS was 3-fold higher in patients with IAI[95% CI 1.6, 5.5], and 2.3-fold-higher in BMI > 39.9[95% CI 1.1, 5.0](Table2). Among sx patients, BMI > 39.9 was associated with 4-fold increase risk of CS;while in asx patients, IAI was associated with 4-fold increase risk of CS(Table 2). Maternal age and PEC were not associated with mode of delivery. Conclusion: Some known risk factors for severe and critical COVID, including higher BMI, were associated with CS in COVID positive pregnant patients. Symptomatic disease at time of delivery was more associated with SVD. [Formula presented] [Formula presented]
ABSTRACT
Objective: The impact of 2021 vaccination and social restriction reversal on preterm birth (PTB) is unclear. We sought to compare the rates of PTB during the COVID pre- and post- vaccination periods with pre-pandemic rate. Study Design: Retrospective cohort comparing all deliveries over 20 weeks at a single tertiary center during ‘early’ COVID (ECOVID 3/2020-6/2020) vs. ‘late’ COVID (LCOVID 3/2021–6/2021), and LCOVID vs. pre-COVID (3-6/2014-2019). PTB < 37weeks, < 34weeks and < 28weeks were compared and stratified by race/ethnicity. Results: There were 20334 deliveries including 2647 ECOVID, 2114 LCOVID and 15574 pre-COVID. We noted 87 (0.03%) and 37 (0.02%) COVID infections in pregnancy during ECOVID and LCOVID, respectively. PTB rate during LCOVID (12.1%) was lower compared to ECOVID (14.5%), p=0.02. Rate of PTB < 34 was also lower during LCOVID (4.4% vs 5.7%, p=0.04). PTB < 28 did not differ (Table1). When controlling for prior PTB, LCOVID was associated with a decreased risk of PTB, adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.83[95% confidence interval (CI) 0.70, 0.99]. Among the small number of American Indian patients, PTB increased during LCOVID vs. ECOVID. There were no other significant differences based on race/ethnicity. Overall, PTB rates did not differ in LCOVID vs. pre-COVID. When stratified by race and ethnicity, White individuals had reduced PTB < 37 during LCOVID compared to pre-COVID, aOR 0.70 [95% CI 0.63, 0.99]. PTB rate was unchanged comparing LCOVID vs. pre-COVID in all other racial groups. Among small numbers of Hispanic Puerto Rican patients, PTB rate increased LCOVID vs. pre-COVID (Table 2). Conclusion: During 2021, PTB rates decreased from rates observed in 2020 at the height of COVID restrictions. Among White birthing individuals, PTB decreased in 2021 compared to pre-COVID rates. This decrease was not observed in Black and Hispanic birthing individuals. These data highlight the continued racially disparate impact of the COVID pandemic on PTB rates. [Formula presented] [Formula presented]