How does COVID-19 affect pregnant women?
Researchers are still learning how COVID-19 affects pregnant women. Current reports suggest that pregnant women have a higher risk for more severe illness from COVID-19 than nonpregnant women.
Reports note that:
- Pregnant women who have COVID-19 and show symptoms are more likely than nonpregnant women with COVID-19 and symptoms to need care in an intensive care unit (ICU), to need a ventilator (for breathing support), or to die from the illness. Still, the overall risk of severe illness and death for pregnant women is low.
- Pregnant women with some health conditions, such as obesity and gestational diabetes, may have an even higher risk of severe illness, similar to nonpregnant women with these conditions.
- Pregnant women who are Black or Hispanic have a higher rate of illness and death from COVID-19 than other pregnant women, but not because of biology. Black and Hispanic women are more likely to face social, health, and economic inequities that put them at greater risk of illness. To learn more about these inequities, see this page from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Is it safe to get a COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy?
Pregnant women may choose to get a COVID-19 vaccine. There is a limited amount of safety data available on COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy at this time, but what experts know so far is reassuring.
The tests done before the first vaccines were approved for emergency use did not include pregnant women. But based on how the vaccines were made and the science behind how the vaccines work in the body, experts believe they should be safe in pregnancy. The CDC and some of the COVID-19 vaccine makers are now starting or planning tests with pregnant women. And thousands of pregnant women have already chosen to receive COVID-19 vaccines. Some of them have enrolled in the CDC’s vaccination tracking program. Data from this program do not show any safety concerns.
If you are pregnant and want to know more about the vaccines, you can talk with your obstetrician–gynecologist (ob-gyn) or other health care professional. This conversation is not required to get a vaccine, though it may be helpful. You can discuss your risk of getting COVID-19 and your risk of severe illness if you get sick. A vaccine may protect you from severe illness, which could help both you and your fetus.
See this page from the CDC to learn more about COVID-19 vaccines, pregnancy, and breastfeeding. For general information on the vaccines, see How do we know the COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective? One expert explains.
Should breastfeeding women get a COVID-19 vaccine?
Yes, ACOG recommends that breastfeeding women get a COVID-19 vaccine. There is no need to stop breastfeeding if you want to get a vaccine. When you get vaccinated, the antibodies made by your body can be passed through breastmilk and help protect your child from the virus.
LEARN MORE ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ->
Reviewed by: Lisa Hollier, MD, MPH, FACOG, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas