Delta variant: New research shows increased risks to pregnanat women
New research by Oxford University shows a greater proportion of unvaccinated pregnant women getting severe Covid-19. It’s thought the Delta variant could be more dangerous to pregnant women and their babies than previous variants, and in the UK pregnant women are being urged to get the jab.
Marian Knight, Professor of maternal and child population health at Oxford University, is one of the authors of the report. She says the research shows that about 1 in 10 pregnant women admitted to hospital in the UK with the Alpha variant needed intensive care. With the Delta variant, it is 1 in 7, and of those, 1 in 5 will have a premature birth.
On the subject of vaccination, she notes that 98% of pregnant women admitted to hospital with severe Covid symptoms were unvaccinated. She believes that women should get vaccinated, and that so far, there were "no safety signals" around this for mothers or their babies.
Photo: A pregnant woman in a park Credit: Getty Images
