Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes following COVID-19 Vaccination in Pregnancy

Abstract Background The physiological and anatomical changes that occur during pregnancy make the mother vulnerable to severe infections and reduce the mother's tolerance to hypoxia. Vaccination is a fundamental strategy to prevent diseases.The present study was done with the aim of investigating maternal and neonatal outcomes following COVID-19 vaccination in Pregnancy. Methods This cross-sectional study was carried out on 1645 pregnant women (685 COVID-19 vaccinated during pregnancy and 960 non- vaccinated). The study was conducted in the public hospitals of Kerman, located in southeastern of Iran, from January to March ,2022. Maternal and neonatal outcomes were measured by interview and observation during labor, delivery and postpartum. Results All vaccinated women had received the Sinopharm vaccine The mean birth weight of the neonates was 2778.9 ± 877.9 grams in the vaccinated and 2827 ± 843.6 grams in the non-vaccinated group. The first minute Apgar score was 8.05 ± 1.89 in the vaccinated and 8.15 ± 2.05 in the non-vaccinated group. The risk of maternal morbidities was not significantly different in two groups (p > 0.001). Only the risk of NICU admission was higher in vaccinated women than in non-vaccinated women (OR = 3.39, P < 0.001). Conclusions Since serious complications associated with receiving COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy were not observed in the present study, and COVID-19 can have serious and fatal effects during pregnancy, it seems reasonable to recommend vaccination during pregnancy to prevent the potential risk posed by COVID-19.