The effect of COVID-19 infection on the hematological parameters in pregnant women

Background: This study aimed to analyze the hematological parameters in pregnant women who were COVID-positive in a tertiary care hospital and to observe whether there was an association between the findings and disease severity. Methods: This retrospective study included 64 COVID-positive pregnant patients who were admitted to our hospital, under the obstetrics department, during the period from June 2020 to December 2020. The hematological parameters, such as hemoglobin, MCV, RDW, etc., of these women during the third trimester were assessed, and the outcome of the pregnancy was recorded. Results: Among 64 COVID-positive pregnant women, 14 complained of the usual symptoms like fever, cough, or headache. One complained of increased breathlessness. After hematological work-up, 46 (72%) patients were recorded to have anemia, and 38 (59%) showed leukocytosis. Neutrophilia was seen in 34 patients. The platelet count was within normal limits for all. Forty-nine of them underwent caesarean section for various reasons, the most common being previous caesarean section. Sixty-two deliveries were done at term. Only one of the babies delivered had anemia at birth. The 1- and 5-minute APGAR scores recorded for all the babies were 7 to 9. Fifteen babies delivered underwent RT-PCR testing and were found to be negative. Conclusion: The laboratory parameters most commonly seen among the COVID-19 pregnant women were anemia, leukocytosis, and neutrophilia, which are comparable to the physiological changes in pregnancy. There was no adverse outcome observed in any of the pregnancies, and all the fetuses were normal. There was no incidence of vertical transmission of the virus among the tested neonates.