ABSTRACT:
The COVID-19 pandemic presents significant medical challenges, including unclear perinatal issues. Infection can occur at any stage of pregnancy, potentially leading to in utero transmission. Most studies indicate no significant clinical impact on fetal malformations or neonatal death from fetal infection. This study evaluates the importance of vaccinating pregnant women against COVID-19 and the potential for in utero transmission, correlating these factors with pathological findings in placental tissues and newborns. It examines how placental changes may contribute to neonatal symptoms and how vaccination reduces complications for both mothers and neonates. The study involves a retrospective clinicopathological analysis of 50 placental autopsies from non-vaccinated pregnant women aged 25-30 years infected with COVID-19 during the 2nd or 3rd trimester, compared to 50 autopsies from vaccinated women (with the Sinopharm vaccine) in the same age range and trimesters. Findings suggest that COVID-19 infection in non-vaccinated mothers leads to placental issues like placentitis and vessel obstruction, causing decreased perfusion, placental insufficiency, and perinatal problems such as fetal hypoxia. Vaccinated mothers showed minimal or no such complications. The study highlights the intimate relationship between neonatal complications and intrauterine COVID-19 infection, suggesting that including the COVID-19 vaccine in premarital vaccination programs could prevent these issues, benefiting both mothers and neonates.