We know pregnant women are at a higher risk of infection from COVID-19. As per our previous updates, we also know that vaccination during pregnancy does not increase the risk of fetal anomalies, neonatal hospitalizations, or infant demise. Some studies also showed that vaccination during pregnancy helped protect babies from serious illness and risk of hospitalization from COVID-19. And thanks to recent studies, we now know that babies born to women who got a second or third COVID-19 vaccine dose during pregnancy have a lower risk of getting infected.
Ellen Øen Carlsen, MD, of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health in Oslo, and colleagues, included 21,643 newborns (45% of them were born to women vaccinated during the last two trimesters of pregnancy) and studied the difference between those born to vaccinated mothers and those born to unvaccinated mothers. During the Omicron period, babies whose mothers got a second or third dose of the vaccine had a 33% lower risk of having a positive test within the first four months of life than those whose mothers were unvaccinated. During the Delta period, the risk of having a positive test was 71% lower. The authors also noted that none of the 824 babies whose mothers had a third dose of the vaccines during pregnancy had a positive test during Delta, and the risk of testing positive was lower for those with a third dose than for those with only two doses.
We are happy to share this good news with all our pregnant patients as we know how important vaccines are to the safety of their babies. We hope this information is as reassuring for you as it has been for us. If you have any questions regarding vaccination, ask your doctor at your next appointment. Let’s stay safe!
El Camino Women’s Medical Group offers the latest Minimally Invasive Solutions for gynecologic problems. Drs. Amy Teng, Erika Balassiano, Pooja Gupta, and Christina Lam, all members of AAGL (American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopy), are highly trained and experienced in the field of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery. Dr. Erika Balassiano has also completed a Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery Fellowship under the supervision of world-renowned Dr. Camran Nezhat.
All of our physicians are El Camino Hospital doctors and operate and deliver at the Mountain View campus.
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