Study shows 1% of unvaccinated pregnant women who contract Covid-19 may be at risk of placentitis

A study looking at 68 perinatal deaths in Ireland and 11 other countries found that 65 of the deaths were caused by inflammation of the placenta linked to Covid-19 infection. The international study confirms findings first made by Irish scientists that there is a link between contracting Covid-19 while unvaccinated and pregnant and perinatal death.

The study published in Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine found that the placenta could become compromised when the mother contracted Covid-19, rendering it unable to nurture the baby with oxygen and nutrients, meaning the baby died in the womb or even 7 days after being born. A build-up of proteins caused clotting in the placenta, limiting the organ’s ability to supply the foetus with what it needed. This resulted in some cases in more than 90% of the placenta being dead.

Person's Tummy And Hand

CUH first published a report in January 2021 on the inflammation of the placenta during pregnancy after contracting Covid-19, followed by a report that April from the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland about the international cluster of cases revealing itself.

All the women in the study had Covid-19 while pregnant and were unvaccinated. The initial studies at the beginning of the pandemic showed no signs that pregnant women were at any higher risk than anyone else who was infected with the virus, but the new variants have shown signs of leading to complication in pregnancy. 

It's estimated that 18 cases have been identified in Ireland in unvaccinated women in the Rotunda and CUH.

Side view crop unrecognizable pregnant woman text messaging on phone while standing in room in daylight

‘Placentitis’ resulted in 6 stillbirths and one miscarriage in the 4 months following in Ireland and were all linked to the Alpha variant. Viruses have been seen before to attack the foetus itself, such as zika, but not the placenta, resulting in some hesitation in the medical community. However, the link has since been confirmed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in November, confirming that unvaccinated pregnant women with the virus had an increased risk of stillbirth compared with uninfected women.

“We’ve seen how the stillbirth birth rate increased during the pandemic with the Alpha and Delta waves of the virus,” said Prof Keelin O’Donoghue, consultant obstetrician at CUH. She confirmed that there is no information yet on how Omicron may impact this study. 

Experts have advised that about 1% of unvaccinated pregnant women who contract Covid-19 may be at risk of suffering from placentitis, which can lead to stillbirth. As a result of the CUH doctors identification of Covid-related placentitis, vaccination for pregnant women was prioritised. 

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