STOCKHOLM, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- As pregnant women who catch COVID-19 risk giving birth prematurely, those who are pregnant in week 22 and later should be considered as belonging to a risk group, the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare said on Friday.
The recommendation is backed by an analysis of around 1,500 women in Sweden who contracted the virus during pregnancy weeks 22 to 36. Between 12 and 13 percent ended up giving birth prematurely.
"Normally, it is between 4 and 5 percent," Urban Nylen, medical officer with the Board, told Xinhua.
"Premature birth involves risks, such as the danger of infections, for the baby and that is why we are now adding pregnancy to the list of risks in COVID-19. However, the data does not support that the infection increases the risk for serious illness in either the mother or the child," Nylen said.
The medical officer added that similar studies in other countries had come to the same conclusion and that they had also been weighed in when developing the new recommendation.
It has now been submitted to the Public Health Agency of Sweden, which decides who should be prioritized for vaccination. It has also been passed on to the government for consideration whether pregnancy should be grounds for sickness benefits for preventive purposes. Enditem
