More unvaccinated pregnant women in ICU with Covid

Hospitals throughout the Netherlands are noticing an increase in the number of unvaccinated pregnant women who need intensive care because of a coronavirus infection. Gynecologists are very concerned about this and urge pregnant women to get vaccinated, Nieuwsuur reports.

At the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, pregnant women in ICU doubled since the summer. Gynecologist Hans Duvekot is worried about the physical impact on expectant mothers and the mental consequences.

"They are here on a ventilator for weeks, and then we may have to get the child by Cesarean section. While the mother is still in an artificial coma. The impact of that is enormous," Duvekot said to Nieuwsuur. These women wake up with an empty womb and are very confused, he said. "Even so bat that we have to get the psychiatrist involved. It is also terrible, of course."

A total of 32 women ended up in the ICU at Erasmus MC, according to the program. The latest one was admitted this past weekend. None of them were fully vaccinated. Other hospitals are also seeing an increase, but the numbers are still lower.

Although Covid-19 so far does not seem to be very harmful to newborns, premature birth can be. The baby is not yet fully grown and may end up in the NICU, intensive care for newborns.

"There is a risk of infections, brain hemorrhage, intestinal infections, all of which can have long-term consequences for the rest of your life," Manon Benders, head of the neonatology department at the Wilhelmina Children's Hospital in Utrecht, explained the risks involved in premature birth. "It is a very bad start which could also have been prevented."

Christianne de Groot, gynecologist and a board member of the NVOG, told Nieuwsuur that she regularly deals with pregnant women who do not want to get vaccinated. "We were cautious at the beginning of the vaccination campaign. We now know that the vaccine is safe for pregnant women."

According to Nieuwsuur, current estimations are that only 30 to 50 percent of pregnant women are fully vaccinated.

On Monday, researchers at Erasmus MC also warned that a Covid-19 infection could result in stillbirth in rare cases. Since July this year, they linked at least 13 stillbirths in the Randstad to placenta damaged by the coronavirus.