New research indicates that the coronavirus can invade and destroy the placenta, potentially leading to stillbirths in infected women. The study noted that this is an uncommon outcome for any pregnancy, but women who contracted COVID face a higher risk. Authorities believe that vaccination can prevent these cases.
Researchers from 12 countries, including the United States, analyzed placenta tissues and the autopsies of 64 stillborn infants and four deceased newborns who died shortly after birth. All cases involved women who were unvaccinated and contracted COVID during pregnancy.
The study supports evidence from smaller reports suggesting that placenta damage, rather than fetal transmission of the infection, is the most likely cause of many stillbirths in COVID-related cases, according to Dr. Jeffrey Goldstein, a pathologist at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. Previous evidence indicated that the odds of stillbirths are higher than usual among pregnant women infected with COVID, especially with the Delta variant. Vaccination recommendations include pregnant women, highlighting an increased risk of complications upon infection.
Lead study author Dr. David Schwartz, a pathologist in Atlanta, noted that other types of infections can penetrate the placenta and cause fetal death, typically through transmission to the fetus, such as the Zika virus. He and his colleagues wanted to determine if this was the case with stillbirths in women infected with COVID. However, they found almost the opposite: the placenta was severely damaged and destroyed. Schwartz said, "Many of these cases exhibited over 90% damage to the placenta - this is extremely frightening."
