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Study ties COVID infection at delivery to increased risk for mom and baby
News briefToday at 2:10 p.m.
Meghan Holohan
Topics
COVID-19
A paper published in PLOS One finds that maternal COVID-19 infection during delivery increases the risk of poor maternal and fetal outcomes, with the most severe effects noted during the Delta variant wave early in the pandemic.
“Overall, this study demonstrates that obstetric risk associated with COVID-19 was not static but evolved across variant periods, highlighting the need for ongoing maternal health surveillance and adaptive healthcare policies as infectious disease patterns change,” wrote the authors, led by researchers from the US Department of Health and Human Services.
“These findings provide a framework for assessing and responding to variant-driven shifts in pregnancy risk during future infectious disease outbreaks,” they added.
Confirms previous research findings
The retrospective cohort study of nearly 2.6 million hospital delivery discharges—which included 53,226 moms (2.1%) diagnosed as having COVID-19—examined maternal and fetal outcomes across the pre-Alpha, Alpha, Delta, and first Omicron waves, from April 1, 2020, to March 31, 2023.Having COVID-19 at delivery was associated with an increased risk of fetal death at 20 weeks or later during the pre-Alpha and Delta waves of COVID-19. Throughout the pandemic, COVID-19 infection at delivery was linked to a greater chance of maternal intensive care unit admission and preterm birth. Cesarean birth rates increased throughout the pandemic, except during the Alpha and the first Omicron waves.
“The markedly elevated risk of fetal death is consistent with prior research observing elevated preterm delivery risk across variant periods, most notably during the early stages of the pandemic,” the authors wrote. “Likewise, previous studies have observed an elevated risk of preterm birth associated with COVID-19 infection This study corroborates these findings.”
Quick takes: Sprout recall, local dengue in Florida, variant H1N2 flu in Michigan, new NICHD director
News briefToday at 1:55 p.m.
Chris Dall, MA
Topics
Dengue
E coli
Foodborne Disease
Salmonella
Influenza Variants
Public Health
Anti-science
- The Food and Drug Administration said late last week that Minneapolis-based Everything Sprouts has recalled certain lots of alfalfa sprouts that have been linked to a multistate outbreak of Escherichia coli and Salmonella. The sprouts, which are sold under the Calco and Everything Sprouts brands, were distributed from May 27 to August 21 to wholesale distributors and grocery stores in Minnesota and Wisconsin. To date, 55 people in 15 states have been sickened in the outbreaks, and four have been hospitalized.
- The Florida Department of Health in Citrus County is warning residents of a confirmed locally acquired cased of dengue fever. Department officials said in a news release today that they are coordinating surveillance and prevention efforts for the mosquito-borne illness, which can cause flu-like symptoms and severe muscle and joint pain, with Citrus County Mosquito Control.
- Two human infections with the novel variant H1N2 flu (H1N2v) strain were reported last week in Michigan, according to the latest FluView report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Both patients, who are under age 18 and sought treatment during the week ending August 15, are recovering from their illnesses. H1N2v typically circulates in swine, and most infections occur following exposure to pigs, though person-to-person spread is possible. To date, four human infections with variant flu viruses have been reported in 2025-26 flu season, and all four have been caused by H1N2v.
- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced last week that pediatric neurologist John Gaitanis, MD, has been tapped to direct the NIH Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Gaitanis, who previously headed neurology divisions at Tufts and Brown University but has also been a paid expert witness on behalf of people claiming neurologic injuries from childhood vaccines, will oversee an institution with a $1.7 billion budget that provides research grants to advance maternal, gynecologic, and child health and the health of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.