Racial Disparities
The increased risk for pregnant patients also highlighted the racial disparities of the pandemic.
Only 14% of pregnant and nonpregnant participants in the study were Black women.
Yet Black women represent 37% of overall deaths recorded and 26% of deaths among pregnant women.
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Similarly, pregnant Hispanic women had 2.4 times the risk of death.
The enlarging uterus pushes against the upper abdomen decreasing lung capacity.
All of these factors converge to make pregnancy especially a precarious time during the pandemic.
The study also looked at the outcomes for infants of people who contracted COVID-19.
I think we still do not have enough information on neonatal or fetal outcomes.
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Zambrano LD, Ellington S, Strid P, et al.
2020;8(9):782-792.
2020;69(44).
National Child & Maternal Health Education Program.
