Background: The ongoing pandemic situation by a highly infective Covid-19 virus is a global health threat. Pregnancy related physiological changes of cardio- respiratory system and relative immunosuppression might cause more infectivity and worsening complications of this novel respiratory virus infection. Limited data availability on feto -maternal outcome of Covid 19 positive pregnant women necessitates the current study.
Methodology: A prospective cohort study was conducted in a government designated level III Covid care hospital at Teerthankar Mahaveer Medical College & Research Centre to assess the feto-maternal outcome in Covid 19 RT- PCR test positive pregnant women delivered between April 2020 to September 2020. Mothers were evaluated in terms of asymptomatic status or predominant symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, and breathlessness), complication if any including need for ventilatory support for extensive pneumonia, or mortality. Neonates were tested for presence of infection by RT-PCR test on day 2 & 5 of delivery, and also looked for any symptoms of the disease or it’s complication.
Results: Total 33 women with Covid19 positivity delivered at term pregnancy in the said period of 6 months. The most frequent (45.45%) age group was 26 to 30 years. Asymptomatic Covid 19 positive cases were more (57.58%) prevailing over symptomatic patients. Fever was most frequent (33.33%) physical symptom. Emotional quotient was significantly affected by presence of anxiety amongst 36.36%. Caesarean delivery conducted maintaining all protocol in 60.6% women, but all were indicated for other obstetric reason. None of the mother had developed significant pneumonia or other complication. One case of maternal mortality noted, but was not related to Covid 19 infection. Vertical transmission was nil in our study and no neonate was affected by any complication.
Conclusion: Course of disease was not different in pregnant women infected by Covid 19 virus in late pregnancy in comparison to non-pregnant adults. No case of vertical transmission noted, neither any neonatal morbidity nor mortality in present study, shows the importance of following optimum protocol. All pregnant women should be screened for Covid 19 infection in current scenario.