Nearly 1,000 pregnant Covid-19 patients hospitalized since start of pandemic

Nearly 1,000 pregnant women with Covid-19 ended up in hospital since the beginning of the pandemic, figures from the Dutch Association for Obstetrics and Gynecology (NVOG) showed, according to NU.nl. Pregnancy can increase the risk of falling seriously ill with Covid-19. In one case, a pregnant woman succumbed to Covid-19.

Around every second mother who fell ill gave birth to their child prematurely.

Around 56 percent of the 958 pregnant Covid-19 patients were not directly because of the virus but due to other issues such as premature membrane rupture.

In the cases where the vaccination status of the hospitalized mothers was known, the majority proved not to have gotten the jab. Out of the 29 pregnant women with Covid-19 sent to the ICU, none had been vaccinated, according to NVOG. Of the 68 pregnant Covid-19 patients in the regular hospital ward, 67 had not been vaccinated.

"Vaccinated pregnant women have hardly any risk of hospitalization," researchers wrote in the Dutch Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. "Pregant women and women who want children should be strongly advised to get vaccianted."

A NVOG spokesperson told NU.nl noted it was understandable that pregnant women can be hesitant to get vaccinated. "During pregnancy, women continously hear what they need to be careful with and what they should not do. It can be scary to get a vaccine."