COVID-19 during 1st, 2nd trimesters linked to pre-term delivery, stillbirth

A retrospective cohort study of 882 people with mild or moderate COVID-19 during pregnancy found a correlation between gestational age at time of infection and gestational age at time of delivery. Patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection during the first and second trimester of pregnancy had decreased gestational age at delivery, with the most pronounced decrease occurring following first trimester infection. The researchers also observed increased rates of stillbirth. “These results suggest that pregnant people would benefit from increased monitoring and enhanced prenatal care after first or second trimester SARS-CoV-2 infection, regardless of acute COVID-19 severity,” the study’s authors concluded. (The Lancet Digital Health article, 1/13/22)