Radio Sweden: Swedish obstetrician cautious about US study into Covid and pregnancy

Pregnant women who contract Covid-19 are at increased risk for severe illness or death, compared with non-pregnant women, according to new data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But a leading Swedish obstetrician urges caution in interpreting the results and in applying them to Sweden.

Karin Pettersson, an obstetrician and head of maternity care at Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm told Radio Sweden that despite some shortcomings, the CDC study does add valuable information to the relatively small knowledge base that exists so far around Covid-19 and pregnancy.

Pettersson said that 18 pregnant women with confirmed Covid-19 have been treated in Swedish ICUs, and from such a small sample it is not possible to draw any clear conclusions about the potential risks faced by expectant mothers.