Pregnant women urged to consider vaccine amid concerns over hospitalized mothers

Pregnant women are urged to seek “evidence-based information” on Covid-19 injections due to concerns over admitting pregnant women to intensive care.

r Peter McKenna, HSE Clinical Director of Women’s and Infant Health, said the Delta variant was “more aggressive” when it came to dealing with pregnant women.

He also revealed that pregnant women made up a “disproportionate number” of those treated in intensive care units in recent weeks.

Her comments come as health officials in Northern Ireland have confirmed there has been an increase in the number of pregnant patients requiring treatment in hospital.

A statement from the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust said its services treated 12 pregnant patients who tested positive for Covid-19 in the past week.

While maternity hospitals in the Republic say they have had very few positive cases in pregnant patients, there are fears that women in their third trimester may contract the virus.

Professor Shane Higgins, the master of the National Maternity Hospital, told the Independent Irish: “Mothers infected with the virus in the third trimester have a more severe course of the disease than similar non-pregnant patients. The disease can have a significant impact on mothers in the third trimester, and we would definitely recommend that patients get the vaccine. “

Professor Higgins said vaccination in Holles Street patients had been “very strong”, while infection rates had been relatively low.

“We have had over 100 patients during the pandemic who presented shortly after the diagnosis of positivity. Probably between 110 and 120.

He said the majority of these cases happened before vaccines were given to pregnant women.

Other maternity hospitals have seen similar trends.

Professor Michael O’Connell, master of Coombe Hospital in Dublin, said their infrastructure has been adapted to support women – both vaccinated and unvaccinated – showing symptoms of Covid or who are diagnosed with Covid, as well as those who were free from Covid and needed to be protected from transmission.

He urged anyone concerned about the vaccine to contact their GP or specialist.

“There is no evidence that the Covid-19 vaccine will harm your baby. Evidence shows that Covid-19 vaccines are safe for mother and baby to protect them from discomfort. We recommend that women get the vaccine if they are pregnant, trying to have a baby or might become pregnant in the future, or are breastfeeding, as this greatly reduces the risk of discomfort. “

Dr McKenna of the HSE warned of the dangers of Covid placentitis, a condition when the placenta becomes infected with Covid, which can affect the placenta’s ability to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the baby.

“We had six stillbirths, one late miscarriage and four near misses. This means that the baby would have died if it had not been delivered in an emergency, ”he told RTÉ. Morning Ireland.

He also confirmed that a number of pregnant women had received intensive care recently.

“A few weeks ago, when we had a disproportionate number of adolescents in intensive care, a disproportionate number of them were pregnant women. “

The Belfast Trust said unvaccinated pregnant women were ‘more likely to contract Covid and if they are infected they are more likely to become ill’. A spokesperson said pregnant women needed ventilation, “the majority being hospitalized in the third trimester, over 26 weeks.”