COVID-19 Omicron variant infection has minimal impact on maternal and neonatal outcomes: A cross-sectional cohort study.
Liu Ying, Liang Mengmeng, Zhang Lan and 3 others
PMID 38268256WHAT IT FOUND
Omicron infection in mothers mostly did not worsen birth outcomes, though intrapartum fever rose to 25.2% from 10.3% and preterm birth in vaginal births rose to 8.5% from 1.8%, without more neonatal asphyxia.
Key findings
01In matched groups, intrapartum fever was more common in COVID-19-positive mothers (25.2% vs 10.3%).
02Among vaginal deliveries, preterm birth was more common in positive mothers (8.5% vs 1.8%) and umbilical artery blood gas pH was lower (7.255 vs 7.277), but neonatal asphyxia did not differ.
03Most other maternal and neonatal outcomes in vaginal deliveries were not significantly different, including neonatal morbidities, Apgar scores, labour length, blood loss, and postpartum haemorrhage.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only 155 infected women were available for matching, and the final analysis included 310 women, not all 1508 women giving birth. The study was done at one hospital in China during December 2022, so results may not apply to other settings. Women were grouped by infection status and matched only on parity, so other differences may explain the outcomes. Vaccination status was not compared because the paper says pregnancy was a contraindication to vaccination under local guidance at that time. Neonatal asphyxia was rare, with 1.0% versus 0.0% in vaginal births. Intrapartum fever treatment with acetaminophen and antibiotics was described, but the study did not separate its effect from infection.
Declared interests
Funding came from the Clinical Research Project in the Health Industry of Shanghai Municipal Health Commission (No. 20204Y0231) and The Reservoir Talent Project of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital. Authors reported no conflicts.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude Omicron infection is harmless to mothers or newborns. The study found more fever and, in vaginal births, more preterm birth and lower umbilical artery blood gas pH, and it was observational, single-site, December 2022 only, so it cannot prove safety.