Pregnancy and breastfeeding during COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review of published pregnancy cases (preprint)

ABSTRACT

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is an emerging concern regarding the potential adverse effects during pregnancy. This study reviews knowledge on the impact of COVID-19 on pregnancy and describes the outcome of published cases of pregnant women diagnosed with COVID-19, as well as the characteristics of COVID-19 positive women who delivered in Portugal by 31 of March 2020. Methods: Searches were conducted in PubMed up to 8 April 2020, using PRISMA standards, to identify original published studies describing pregnant women at any gestational age diagnosed COVID-19. There were no date or language restrictions on the search. All identified studies were included irrespective of assumptions on study quality. Portuguese cases were ascertained by contact with all Portuguese maternities and based on the information provided by their health professionals. Results: We identified 30 original studies reporting 212 cases of pregnant women with COVID-19 (30 discharged while pregnant), 200 from China and 12 from other countries. The 182 published deliveries resulted in one stillbirth and 185 live births. Four women with severe COVID-19 required admission to an intensive care unit but no cases of maternal death were reported. There was one neonatal death. Preterm births occurred in 28.7% of cases, but it is unclear whether this was iatrogenic. All cases with amniotic fluid, placenta, and/or cord blood analyzed for the SARS-CoV-2 virus were negative. Four newborns were positive for SARS-CoV-2 and three newborns had high levels of IgM antibodies. None of the first eight infants born in Portugal tested positive. Breast milk samples from 13 mothers and described in seven studies showed no evidence of SARS-CoV-2. Conclusion: The evidence related to the effect of COVID-19 on pregnant women is still limited. Pregnant women and newborns should be considered particularly vulnerable populations regarding COVID-19 prevention and management strategies.