PERINATAL CONSEQUENCES OF COVID-19 (SARS-COV-2): A LITERATURE REVIEW (PART I)

Abstract

Relevance: The pandemic of a new coronavirus infection – COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) – announced in March 2020 by the World Health Organization remains a global health problem. Despite the unprecedented efforts of the global community, the number of COVID cases exceeded a quarter of a billion, with over 5 million deaths by the end of 2021. New emerging strains of the virus require a continued careful study of the infectious process characteristics and possible differences in the disease course against the background of the study of the pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of coronavirus infection. The effect of the infection on the course of pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period requires a thorough study. With the lack of evidence of possible imminent cessation of the pandemic, studies on the impact of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) on the health of a pregnant woman are most relevant today. The study aimed to analyze current data on the impact of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) on the course of pregnancy, childbirth, the postpartum period, as well as the studies of the state of the so-called “transient organs associated with pregnancy,” primarily in the placenta, for a better understanding of the situation and further forecasting of directions and prospects for future research on the outlined issues. Methods: The search for scientific publications over the past two years was made in PubMed by the following keywords: “COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2)”, “pregnancy and childbirth with COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2)”, “placenta in COVID-19 (SARS- CoV-2)”, “fetus,” “vertical transmission of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2)”. Results: The article presents current data on the impact of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) on pregnancy and perinatal outcomes and the study of the placenta in COVID-19 women. The article offers global data on the peculiarities of the course of pregnancy against the background of the disease and depending on the trimester of pregnancy, and “working theories” of the pathogenesis of the formation of obstetric complications of the infection during pregnancy. A review of data on the issue of reaction from “extra fetal transient tissues and organs during pregnancy (placenta)” is provided. Conclusion: It is necessary to develop a unified national terminology and classification of COVID-19 disease and its complications in pregnant women and newborns and continue to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on pregnancy. A separate area of research should be studying the state of health, the course of pregnancy, and perinatal consequences in vaccinated women.