New OWH Research Examines COVID-19 and Delivery-Related Outcomes Across Variant Periods
Study provides new insights into the maternal and fetal health impacts of COVID-19
A new study supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health (OWH) examined the association between COVID-19 infection and delivery-related outcomes across different COVID-19 variant periods in the United States.
Published in PLOS ONE, the study analyzed more than 2.5 million delivery-related hospitalizations from April 2020 through March 2023, including more than 53,000 hospitalizations involving a COVID-19 diagnosis.
Key Findings
The study found that COVID-19 infection during delivery was associated with increased odds of several serious maternal and fetal outcomes, including:
- Maternal mortality
- Severe maternal morbidity
- Intensive care unit admission
- Preterm birth
- Fetal death at 20 or more weeks of gestation
COVID-19 infection was also associated with increased hospital length of stay and hospital costs, with the most pronounced effects during the Delta period — a 17% increase in hospitalization costs and an 11% increase in length of stay.
Why This Research Matters
Understanding how infectious diseases affect women during pregnancy and delivery can help strengthen maternal health surveillance and inform clinical preparedness for future infectious disease outbreaks.
This study adds to the evidence on the obstetric burden associated with COVID-19 and provides insight into how outcomes varied during different stages of the pandemic.
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