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Review
. 2025 Jan 24;13(2):282.
doi: 10.3390/biomedicines13020282.

Preterm Birth and SARS-CoV-2: Does a Correlation Exist?

Federica Perelli  1   2 , Annalisa Vidiri  3 , Giovanna Palomba  4 , Rita Franco  5 , Vitalba Gallitelli  5 , Marco Parasiliti  5 , Marta Bisanti  6 , Amelia Spanò  6 , Adele Silvagni  7 , Alessandra Lopez  8 , Giuseppe Gullo  8 , Gaspare Cucinella  8 , Anna Franca Cavaliere  9
Affiliations
Review

Preterm Birth and SARS-CoV-2: Does a Correlation Exist?

Federica Perelli et al. Biomedicines. .

Abstract

Introduction: The emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its subsequent global pandemic have raised significant concerns regarding its impact on pregnancy outcomes. This review aims to summarize the emerging data on the risk of preterm delivery in pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV-2. Materials and Methods: A systematic search was conducted from March 2020 to December 2023 using PubMed and Web of Science, following PRISMA guidelines. Studies correlating maternal COVID-19 infection with preterm birth were included. Results: Thirteen studies were analyzed, indicating a higher incidence of preterm birth in SARS-CoV-2-positive pregnant women compared to controls. The average incidence rate of preterm birth in infected patients was 18.5%, with a median of 12.75%, while non-infected women showed an average incidence of preterm birth of 10%, with a median of 8.2%. Discussion: Studies suggest an association between SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy and increased risk of preterm birth and cesarean section. The severity of symptoms and underlying comorbidities further elevate this risk. Notably, infections during the third trimester pose the highest risk of preterm birth. Conclusion: Preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy is crucial to mitigate adverse obstetric outcomes. Close monitoring and tailored interventions for infected pregnant women, particularly those in later trimesters and with comorbidities, are imperative to reduce the risk of preterm birth and improve maternal-fetal outcomes.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; obstetric outcomes; pregnancy outcomes; preterm birth.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA 2020 flow diagram for new systematic reviews, which included searches of databases and registers only.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Preterm birth rates in pregnant women with COVID-19 in included studies [10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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