A Meta-Analysis for Frequency of Intrauterine Growth Restriction and Preterm Premature Rupture of the Membranes in Pregnant Women with COVID-19

The impact of SARS-CoV-2 in pregnancy remains to be determined. Some studies indicated that SARS-CoV-2 infection might be associated with higher risk of adverse outcomes in pregnant women. Here, we performed a meta-analysis to estimate the frequency of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and preterm premature rupture of the membranes (PPROM) in pregnant women with COVID-19. A comprehensive search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, SciELO, MedRxiv, and Web of Science to find all relevant studies published before 10 February 2021. Cross-sectional and consecutive case series reporting pregnancy outcomes of COVID-19 in pregnant women were included. A total of 24 studies including 8 studies on IUGR and 16 studies on PPROM were selected. Pooled data showed that the frequency of IUGR and PPROM was 2.6% and 9.9% in infected women with COVID-19, respectively. Stratified analyses by ethnicity showed that the frequency of IUGR was 2.9% and 2.0% in Asian and Caucasian infected pregnant women, respectively. Moreover, the frequency of PPROM was 10.2% and 5.8% in Asian and Caucasian infected pregnant women, respectively. This meta-analysis showed that the frequency of IUGR and PPROM was 2.6% and 9.9% in the infected pregnant women with COVID-19, respectively. However, well-designed, large-scale and multicenter clinical studies are required to improve and validate these results.