Birth Outcomes of Pregnant Women Infected with COVID-19 in Highland Areas of China from 2020 to 2022: A Retrospective Analysis

Abstract

Purpose

To explore the effect of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection on neonates in plateau regions.

Methods

Cases of newborns born to pregnant women infected with COVID-19 who received prenatal care or treatment at the Women and Children’s Hospital of the Tibet Autonomous Region and the Lhasa People’s Hospital between January 2020 and December 2022 (infected group) and newborns born to healthy pregnant women (non-infected group) who were included by age, underlying disease and length of hospital stay were retrospectively collected. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 381 patients in the infected group and 314 patients in the non-infected group were included in the study.

Results

The results of multivariate analysis showed that admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (OR = 3.342, 95% CI = 1.564–6.764), shortness of breath (OR = 2.853, 95% CI = 1.789–3.154), irregular breathing (OR = 2.465, 95% CI = 1.879–4.112) and neonatal jaundice (OR = 2.324, 95% CI = 1.989–2.445) were the factors influencing the low Apgar scores of neonates in the infected group (all P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Neonates born to pregnant women infected with COVID-19 had lower Apgar scores and higher incidences of complications, such as shortness of breath, groaning, irregular breathing and neonatal jaundice, than newborns born to pregnant women not infected with COVID-19.

Keywords:

• COVID-19
• pregnant women
• newborn

Data Sharing Statement

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.

Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate

This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Ethics Committee of Women and Children’s Hospital of Tibet Autonomous Region (qfeyy-202300). Written informed consent was obtained from all parents/local guardians.

Disclosure

None of the authors have any personal, financial, commercial, or academic conflicts of interest to report for this work.

Additional information

Funding

Tibet Autonomous Region Key R&D Project (XZ202201ZY0044G).