A Prospective Study on the Prevalence of Coronavirus Disease 19 Infection in Antenatal Patients at Term and Its Effects on Maternal-fetal Health and on Early Childhood Development

• Published in: Journal of Marine Medical Society 2024-05, Vol.26 (2), p.242-247
• Main Authors: Mustajib, Ali, Arunav, Sharma, Abdul, Sheik R., Bhargava, Harshit, Sunil, Agrawal
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: covid-19; infant; lockdown; milestones; neonate; pregnancy
• ISSN: 0975-3605; 2589-1235
• DOI: 10.4103/jmms.jmms_86_23

Background: Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) has become a global pandemic; its unparalleled speed of spread has left us all in a worldwide alarming situation. Aims: The aim was to study the prevalence of COVID-19 infection in asymptomatic antenatal patients at term and its maternal and fetal outcomes and neonates being followed up till 18 months for developmental assessment. This was a prospective observational study carried out from September 1, 2020, to March 31, 2023. Materials and Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted on 250 pregnant women attending the antenatal care outpatient department in a Zonal Hospital in Northeastern India expected to undergo delivery in the next 5 days, and all suspected COVID-19 pregnant women were included in the study. Asymptomatic pregnant women not expecting delivery in the next 5 days were excluded. All neonates born to these 250 mothers were followed till 18 months of age and were then assessed for the impact of COVID-19 on the developmental milestones. The prevalence of COVID-19 was calculated in the study population. The Chi-square test was used to compare categorical variables in COVID-19-positive and -negative groups. P