Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37193958›Full record

Observational studyBMC pregnancy and childbirth2023

Late miscarriage and stillbirth in asymptomatic and symptomatic hospitalised pregnant women in Belgium during the first and second waves of COVID-19: a prospective nationwide population-based study.

An Vercoutere, Mbiton Joel Zina, Karolien Benoit, Elena Costa, Sara Derisbourg, Michel Boulvain, Kristien Roelens, Griet Vandenberghe, Caroline Daelemans, B. OSS collaborating group

Open access · goldAbstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.9field-weighted citation impact, top 25% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 20 institutions in 6 countries.

An VercoutereDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (H.U.B), CUB Hôpital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Anderlecht, Belgium.
Mbiton Joel ZinaOutbreak Support Team Carolo, Hainaut, Belgium.
Karolien BenoitBelgian Obstetrical Surveillance System, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
Elena CostaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (H.U.B), CUB Hôpital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Anderlecht, Belgium.
Sara DerisbourgDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (H.U.B), CUB Hôpital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Anderlecht, Belgium.
Michel BoulvainDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (H.U.B), CUB Hôpital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Anderlecht, Belgium.
Kristien RoelensBelgian Obstetrical Surveillance System, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
Griet VandenbergheBelgian Obstetrical Surveillance System, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
Caroline DaelemansBelgian Obstetrical Surveillance System, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium. caroline.daelemans@hcuge.ch.
B. OSS collaborating group
Ghent University Hospital · BEGhent University · BEUniversité Libre de Bruxelles · BEAZ Delta · BEAZ Groeninge · BEAZ Klina · BEAZ Sint-Lucas · BECentre Hospitalier Interrégional Edith Cavell · BECentre hospitalier régional de la Citadelle · BECentre Hospitalier Universitaire de Saint-Pierre · BECHU Ambroise Paré · BEClinique Saint-Joseph · BECliniques du Sud Luxembourg · BEDevan Chemicals (Belgium) · BEGZA Ziekenhuizen Campus Sint-Augustinus · BEHôpital Notre-Dame · CAHôpital Saint-Jacques · FRImelda Hospital · BESirris · BEZero Emissions Resource Organisation · NO

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundStillbirth has been recognized as a possible complication of a SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy, probably due to destructive placental lesions (SARS-CoV-2 placentitis). The aim of this work is to analyse stillbirth and late miscarriage cases in unvaccinated pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV-2 during the first two waves (wild-type period) in Belgium.

methodsStillbirths and late miscarriages in our prospective observational nationwide registry of SARS-CoV-2 infected pregnant women (n = 982) were classified by three authors using a modified WHO-UMC classification system for standardized case causality assessment.

resultsOur cohort included 982 hospitalised pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV-2, with 23 fetal demises (10 late miscarriages from 12 to 22 weeks of gestational age and 13 stillbirths). The stillbirth rate was 9.5‰ for singleton pregnancies and 83.3‰ for multiple pregnancies, which seems higher than for the background population (respectively 5.6‰ and 13.8‰). The agreement between assessors about the causal relationship with SARS-Cov-2 infection was fair (global weighted kappa value of 0.66). Among these demises, 17.4% (4/23) were "certainly" attributable to SARS-CoV-2 infection, 13.0% (3/23) "probably" and 30.4% (7/23) "possibly". Better agreement in the rating was noticed when pathological examination of the placenta and identification of the virus were available, underlining the importance of a thorough investigation in case of intra-uterine fetal demise.

conclusionsSARS-CoV-2 causality assessment of late miscarriage and stillbirth cases in our Belgian nationwide case series has shown that half of the fetal losses could be attributable to SARS-CoV-2. We must consider in future epidemic emergencies to rigorously investigate cases of intra-uterine fetal demise and to store placental tissue and other material for future analyses.

Indexed as

Abortion, SpontaneousCOVID-19Pregnancy Complications, InfectiousStillbirthAdolescentAdultBelgiumFemaleFetal DeathHumansPlacentaPregnancyPregnant PeopleProspective StudiesSARS-CoV-2ClassificationCOVID-19Late miscarriagePlacentitisSARS-CoV-2Stillbirth

Identifiers

PMID37193958
PMCPMC10185936
OpenAlexW4376871204

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.