According to a study released Tuesday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, women who receive the Covid-19 vaccine during pregnancy have no increased risk of having a premature or low birth weight baby.
This is the latest in a series of studies showing that the Covid-19 vaccine is safe for pregnant women.
These findings are consistent with those who received Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccines and who received the vaccine during the second or third trimester. There are not enough data to analyze the risk of people vaccinated during the first trimester or with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The CDC study included about 46,000 pregnant women, of whom about 10,000 received at least one dose of Covid-19 during vaccination. Preterm birth is defined as less than 37 weeks’ gestation and low birth weight is defined as a baby’s birth weight below the tenth percentile for gestational age.
Pregnant women who experience a symptomatic case of Covid-19 face twice the risk of being admitted to intensive care and ventilation and even an increased risk of death, according to the researchers. in nonpregnant women with symptomatic infection.
The CDC recommends the vaccine for all women who are pregnant, recently pregnant, who are trying to become pregnant, or may become pregnant in the future. However, vaccination rates among pregnant women are low — only about a third of pregnant women have been vaccinated, according to the latest CDC data.
Evidence for the benefits of Covid-19 vaccination during pregnancy continues to accumulate, including in the detection of antibodies in cord blood, the researchers write. That suggests pregnant women who get vaccinated can also protect their babies.
Together, these findings reinforce the importance of communicating the risks for Covid-19 during pregnancy, the benefits of vaccination, and information about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy”.
The study did not take into account potential confounding factors, including a pregnant woman’s history of premature birth or low birth weight or previous Covid-19 infection. In addition, the study group did not include people who might have been eligible for an additional or booster dose of vaccine during pregnancy.
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