Study Highlights Risks of COVID-19 During Pregnancy Amid CDC Guidance Confusion

In the first 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, tens of thousands of pregnant women were hospitalized, facing severe health risks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, did not recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for pregnant and breastfeeding women until August 2021, eight months after the vaccine was made available.

According to the CDC, pregnant women with COVID-19 experienced a seventy percent increased risk of dying compared to those without the virus. They also faced higher risks of ICU admission, life support needs, and stillbirth.

In light of these dangers, the CDC assured that the vaccine was safe and did not affect fertility. However, confusion arose when, in May 2023, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Health and Human Services secretary, announced that the COVID vaccine would be removed from the CDC's recommended immunization schedule for healthy children and pregnant women.

This announcement led to the firing of all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. The new guidance suggested individuals assess their own risk factors when deciding on vaccination, alarming doctors and medical organizations who worry this could endanger pregnant women and their babies.

The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine stated that COVID-19 infection during pregnancy increases risks like preterm birth, preeclampsia, and stillbirth. They, alongside the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, continue to advocate for vaccination for all pregnant and breastfeeding individuals, irrespective of their trimester.

A newly published study from Harvard University has revealed that children born to mothers who contracted COVID-19 during pregnancy may face an increased risk of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders by age three.

The study followed over 18,000 live births from March 2020 to May 2021, finding that 16.3% of babies exposed to COVID-19 in utero received a neurodevelopmental diagnosis compared to 9.7% of those unexposed.

Dr. Andrea Edlow, an OB-GYN at Harvard Medical School, noted that many of the mothers in the study were unvaccinated at that time. The study highlighted critical developmental delays, particularly for boys and those infected in the third trimester.

Edlow emphasized the need to monitor these children for neurodevelopmental conditions and encouraged pregnant women to avoid COVID-19 through vaccination and safety measures. Dr. Naima Joseph, a maternal-fetal medicine doctor at Boston Medical Center, expressed concern regarding the CDC’s reversal of vaccine recommendations, particularly for vulnerable populations like women and children.

Joseph recalled her own experience of receiving the vaccine while pregnant with twins, underscoring the importance of protecting both mothers and their babies from COVID-19.