5Shanghai Municipal Key Clinical Specialty, Shanghai, China
Correspondence: He-feng Huang, E-mail:huanghefg@hotmail.com;Postal address: No.910 Hengshan Road, Shanghai, China. Postal code: 200030. Work phone: +86-021-64070434
The author report no conflict of interest.
Word Count:395
Funding: None
COVID-19 is still spreading rapidly around the world, the global cases have been still increasing with millions of people losing lives. Pregnant women are a vulnerable group of people during the global pandemic with potential risks for both mothers and neonates. Though the management guidelines during pregnancy are evolving continuously, pregnant women suffered from COVID-19 mean worse pregnancy outcomes, both physically and mentally, especially during the first or second trimester, the patient or doctor may stick in the middle when facing with choices. We would like to further emphasize the importance of prevention.
By analyses of neonatal outcome in 29 pregnant women with COVID-19, 12 of 13 hospitalized neonates presented with radiological features for pneumonia through X-ray or CT screening, which suggested that intrauterine or intrapartum transmission is possible. Although a systematic review concluded that the rate of infection is no greater when the baby is born vaginally, breastfed or remains with the mother, the safety of mode of delivery among COVID-19 infected pregnant women remains controversial and calls for prospective study.
Multiple COVID-19 vaccines are currently in phase 3 trials with efficacy assessed as prevention of virologically confirmed disease. Vaccines have been considered the promising way to effectively control the virus, however, the effectiveness and safety of vaccines or drugs to be used in pregnant women have been reported very few and need further investigations. As reported in an example that respiratory syncytial virus vaccination in pregnant women did not meet the prespecified success criterion for efficacy against RSV-associated, medically significant lower respiratory tract infection in infants up to 90 days of life. The suggestion of a possible benefit with respect to other end-point events involving RSV-associated respiratory disease in infants warrants further study. As confirmed that public health interventions could improve the control of the COVID-19 outbreak. Thus, the best suggestion in pregnancy in a non-effected population might be still physical distancing, face masks, and eye protection.
COVID-19 characters as strong infectivity, rapid and wide spread, and have caused significant morbidity and mortality. In the 1902 paper, Ballantyne said, “as with the premature, the ideal plan of procedure is prevention”, so with the COVID-19. Before the effective and safety guard of vaccines of COVID-19 to be used in pregnant women, strong awareness of protection and effective measures to be taken among the non-infected population, the increasing trend might see the turning point.