Coronavirus and birth in Italy: results of a national population-based cohort study

Abstract

Introduction: The study was implemented to provide guidance to decision-makers and clinicians by describing hospital care offered to women who gave birth with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Materials and methods: National population-based prospective cohort study involving all women with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection who gave birth between February 25 and April 22, 2020 in any Italian hospital.

Results: The incidence rate of confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in women who gave birth was 2.1 per 1000 maternities at a national level and 6.9/1000 in the Lombardy Region. Overall one third of the women developed a pneumonia and 49.7% assumed at least one drug against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Caesarean rate was 32.9%, no mothers nor newborns died. Six percent of the infants tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 at birth.

Conclusions: Clinical features and outcomes of COVID-19 in women who gave birth are similar to those described for the general population, most women developing mild to moderate illness.