December 23, 2024

New Study Finds That COVID-19 Vaccine Does Not Increase Risk of Preterm Birth

Pregnant people who contract COVID-19 have an increased danger of disease severity and death, yet only 31% of pregnant individuals in the United States had received vaccines as of September 2021. One barrier to vaccine acceptance is the concern that vaccination may interrupt pregnancy.
A Yale co-led study, which looked at more than 40,000 pregnant individuals, includes brand-new evidence supporting the security of COVID-19 vaccination throughout pregnancy.

When comparing immunized with unvaccinated pregnant people, the study discovered COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy was not associated with preterm birth or small-for-gestational-age (SGA). The trimester when the vaccination was gotten and the variety of COVID-19 vaccine dosages received were likewise not associated with increased risk of preterm birth or SGA, the scientists discovered.
The findings were reported on January 4, 2022, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Preterm birth (in which children are delivered earlier than 37 weeks) and SGA (in which children are delivered smaller sized in size than normal for the gestational age) have been associated with a higher danger for crib death and impairment. For the brand-new research study, the authors utilized data from eight health care organizations taking part in Vaccine Safety Datalink– a job established by the CDC to keep an eye on vaccine security– to investigate the danger for preterm birth or SGA among vaccinated and unvaccinated pregnant women aged 16 to 49 years.
Among those consisted of in the study, 10,064 people, or nearly 22%, got at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose during pregnancy, researchers said. A lot of (98.3%) received vaccination during their second or 3rd trimester; the rest (1.7%) got it throughout their first trimester of pregnancy. Practically 96% of those vaccinated received an mRNA vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna.
To date, a couple of studies have actually described results amongst live births following COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy, the scientists say. The brand-new findings contribute to the proof that COVID-19 vaccination is safe during pregnancy.
Research study into the motorists behind low vaccine acceptance among pregnant individuals has actually found that the most common issues have actually been a lack of info about COVID-19 vaccine security in pregnant people and potential harm to the fetus. The outcomes of this study speak to both, said Heather Lipkind, associate teacher of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at the Yale School of Medicine and lead author of the study.
” Getting vaccinated versus COVID-19 is crucial for avoiding serious illness in pregnant people,” said Lipkind. “With the increasing rates of COVID-19 in our community we are encouraging pregnant people to get vaccinated.”
Pregnant people, in addition to seeing an increased risk of severe illness and death compared to non-pregnant people, are most likely to require admission into the extensive care system, invasive ventilation, and machine-assisted blood oxygenation.
The CDC and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for individuals who are pregnant, breastfeeding, attempting to get pregnant, or may conceive in the future.
Recommendation: “Receipt of COVID-19 Vaccine During Pregnancy and Preterm or Small-for-Gestational-Age at Birth– Eight Integrated Health Care Organizations, United States, December 15, 2020– July 22, 2021” by Heather S. Lipkind; Gabriela Vazquez-Benitez; Malini DeSilva; Kimberly K. Vesco; Christina Ackerman-Banks; Jingyi Zhu; Thomas G. Boyce; Matthew F. Daley; Candace C. Fuller; Darios Getahun; Stephanie A. Irving; Lisa A. Jackson; Joshua T.B. Williams; Ousseny Zerbo; Michael M. McNeil; Christine K. Olson; Eric Weintraub and Elyse O. Kharbanda, 4 January 2022, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). DOI: 10.15585/ mmwr.mm7101e1.