Comparative Study of Maternal Mortality in SARS-CoV-2 Infected Pregnant Women in the First and Second Waves of COVID-19 Pandemic in Tertiary Care at Madhya Pradesh, India

ABSTRACT

Objectives: To evaluate the obstetrics outcome in terms of maternal mortality in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infected pregnant women in both the waves of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Design, settings, and participants: This is a prospective cohort study of obstetrics outcomes in SARS-CoV-2 infected pregnant women in both the waves of COVID-19 pandemic from 1 April 2020 to 30 May 2021 at Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences with wide spread access to SARS-CoV-2 testing in outpatients, emergency department, and inpatient settings. Result: The primary outcome composed of maternal mortality in SARS-CoV-2 infected females during both waves of COVID-19 pandemic. Study shows that the second wave was more intense and fatal as compared to the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in India with higher maternal mortality rate in the second wave than the first wave. Study also showed that an overall higher mortality with cesarean section was noted. Thus, our study concluded that the cesarean section is not the preferred mode of delivery in COVID-19 females suffering from respiratory distress. Conclusion: Our study concluded that cesarean section is not the preferred mode of delivery in COVID-19 with females suffering from respiratory distress. The SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy was associated with adverse maternal outcomes post-delivery.