Obstetric challenges during COVID-19 pandemic: A narrative review

Ehab Helmy Abdelmalek Fahmy; Boon Tat Yeap; Dg Marshitah Pg Baharuddin; Mohsen M A Abdelhafez; Win Win Than; May Zaw Soe; Firdaus Hayati; Yeung Sing Chin

doi:10.1016/j.amsu.2021.102995

Obstetric challenges during COVID-19 pandemic: A narrative review

Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2021 Nov:71:102995. doi: 10.1016/j.amsu.2021.102995. Epub 2021 Nov 2.

Authors

Ehab Helmy Abdelmalek Fahmy¹, Boon Tat Yeap², Dg Marshitah Pg Baharuddin¹, Mohsen M A Abdelhafez¹, Win Win Than¹, May Zaw Soe³, Firdaus Hayati⁴, Yeung Sing Chin⁵

Affiliations

¹ Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
² Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
³ Department of Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
⁴ Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
⁵ Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Sabah Women and Children's Hospital, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

Abstract

The severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) pandemic impacts the health of women at reproductive age in different ways, starting from pregnancy planning to post-delivery. This narrative review summarises the challenges to obstetric practice posed by the severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) pandemic. In this paper, we highlight the impacts of COVID-19 to obstetric practice globally and the efforts taken to address these challenges. Further study is critical to investigate the effects of COVID-19 on pregnancy, the outcome of COVID-19 positive pregnant women, and the safety of vaccination during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Keywords: COVID-19; Obstetric challenges; Pandemic; SARS-coV-2.

Publication types

Review