The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic Waves on Maternal Health and Infant Outcomes—A Retrospective Cohort Study

The initial presentation of COVID-19 to the world left many in the medical community perplexed about its true nature and potential impact on individuals. Many investigations into the pathology of the virus resulted from this; however, studies were limited in the obstetric community, especially in high-risk communities. Each pandemic wave (Alpha, Delta, Omicron) had different transmission rates and inflicted different COVID-19 severity levels among those infected. This study aimed to determine if the effects of COVID-19 on maternal and infant outcomes varied by pandemic waves. This is an observational cohort study utilizing women enrolled in a COVID-19 pregnancy study. A review of 374 electronic medical records of women who received care at the University of Mississippi Medical Center after testing positive for SARS-CoV2 was conducted. During the Alpha pandemic wave, women contracted COVID-19 significantly earlier in pregnancy; however, higher rates of COVID-19 infection occurred during the Omicron pandemic wave. During the Delta pandemic wave, more women were morbidly obese and were likely to deliver significantly earlier, and, when compared to infants born during the Omicron pandemic wave, the infants born during the Delta wave weighed significantly less. The effects of COVID-19 on high-risk pregnant patients may deviate from previous reports, indicating a need for further investigation of the biological and social factors that may lead to these differences. Studies into the effects of COVID-19 in pregnancy remain limited and this study provides valuable insight into how varying COVID-19 strains affected a high-risk obstetric community.