COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy does not increase complications at childbirth: study

LOS ANGELES, March 29 (Xinhua) -- A newly published study has found that receiving a COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy does not lead to increases in the frequency of complications around the time of childbirth.

The findings, published in JAMA, provide further assurances about the safety of mRNA vaccines for this particularly unique population, said researchers at the University of Ottawa in a release on Monday.

Lead author Deshayne Fell led the study of nearly 100,000 pregnancies by analyzing data from BORN Ontario, Ontario's provincial birth registry, which is linked to the province's COVID-19 immunization database.

The researchers found approximately 23 percent individuals received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy. Their analysis found no increase in the babies' need for neonatal intensive care unit admission, and no frequency of low Apgar scores in babies born to vaccinated mothers, compared to babies born to unvaccinated mothers.

Apgar scores is an assessment at birth that can identify babies who may need special care, such as extra help with their breathing, according to the research.

"There is increasing evidence from studies around the world showing that COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy is not associated with poor pregnancy or birth outcomes, and showing that COVID-19 vaccines are effective at preventing COVID-19 in pregnant mothers and also in their babies in the first few months of life," said Fell, an associate professor in the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Medicine.