TY - JOUR

T1 - Antibody status at delivery and pregnancy outcomes during the first Danish COVID-19 wave

AU - Springborg, Victoria Holten

AU - Milbak, Julie

AU - Egge, Sissil

AU - Bendix, Jane Marie

AU - Vinterberg, Nanna

AU - Ammitzbøll, Ida L. A.

AU - Jensen, Claus A. J.

AU - Axelsson, Paul Bryde

AU - Løkkegaard, Ellen Christine Leth

AU - Rode, Line

AU - Clausen, Tine Dalsgaard

N1 - Publisher Copyright: Published under Open Access CC-BY-NC-BD 4.0. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - INTRODUCTION: We aimed to investigate the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in parturient women and their newborns during the first Danish COVID-19 wave and to identify associations with maternal background characteristics, self-reported symptoms, and pregnancy outcomes. METHODS: In a single-centre, prospective cohort study from Denmark, we invited 1,883 women with singleton pregnancies giving live birth from 25 May 2020 to 2 November 2020. Hereof, 953 (50.6%) women were included. Nasopharyngeal swabs, maternal and umbilical cord blood samples, and questionnaires were collected. Medical records were available for participants and non-participants. RESULTS: SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were found in 1.3% of the women. All newborns of seropositive women had SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in cord blood. No association was found between SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and pregnancy outcomes. Self-reported loss of smell correlated with seropositivity (p less-than 0.001). No women were hospitalised due to COVID-19 during pregnancy or had a positive nasopharyngeal swab intrapartum. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of COVID-19 in pregnancy was low during the first wave. Maternal SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were associated with antibodies in cord blood, loss of smell and positive SARS-CoV-2 swab during pregnancy, but not with any adverse pregnancy outcomes. FUNDING: Ferring Pharmaceuticals funded part of the study. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was approved by the Regional Committee on Health Research Ethics (H-20028002) and the Danish Data Protection Agency (P-2020-264).

AB - INTRODUCTION: We aimed to investigate the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in parturient women and their newborns during the first Danish COVID-19 wave and to identify associations with maternal background characteristics, self-reported symptoms, and pregnancy outcomes. METHODS: In a single-centre, prospective cohort study from Denmark, we invited 1,883 women with singleton pregnancies giving live birth from 25 May 2020 to 2 November 2020. Hereof, 953 (50.6%) women were included. Nasopharyngeal swabs, maternal and umbilical cord blood samples, and questionnaires were collected. Medical records were available for participants and non-participants. RESULTS: SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were found in 1.3% of the women. All newborns of seropositive women had SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in cord blood. No association was found between SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and pregnancy outcomes. Self-reported loss of smell correlated with seropositivity (p less-than 0.001). No women were hospitalised due to COVID-19 during pregnancy or had a positive nasopharyngeal swab intrapartum. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of COVID-19 in pregnancy was low during the first wave. Maternal SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were associated with antibodies in cord blood, loss of smell and positive SARS-CoV-2 swab during pregnancy, but not with any adverse pregnancy outcomes. FUNDING: Ferring Pharmaceuticals funded part of the study. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was approved by the Regional Committee on Health Research Ethics (H-20028002) and the Danish Data Protection Agency (P-2020-264).

U2 - 10.61409/A10230657

DO - 10.61409/A10230657

M3 - Letter

C2 - 38847410

AN - SCOPUS:85195439359

VL - 71

JO - Danish Medical Journal

JF - Danish Medical Journal

SN - 2245-1919

IS - 6

M1 - A10230657

ER -