JAIPUR: As many as 34 Covid positive pregnant women died at mahila chikitsalaya in the second wave as most of them reached the hospital late with complications having oxygen levels below 70%.
In the first wave, six such patients had died in the same hospital.
At the mahila hospital, approximately 70 near-miss cases have been reported.
In the second wave, more cases of intrauterine fetal death among severely Covid affected pregnant women were reported and more cases of terminating of pregnancies and pre-term deliveries have also happened.
Gynecologists said Covid positive pregnant women who came to the hospital early had more chances of recovery.
“If Covid is diagnosed early, chances of complications in mother and her yet-to-be-born baby are few and in such cases no surgery like abortions are required.
But in pregnant women with severe symptoms, fetal outcome is poor,” said Dr CP Dadhich, director, obstetrics and gynecology at a private hospital.
City’s gynecologists have found that since the second wave is highly infectious and virulent compared to the first, pregnant women bore the brunt of it.
“In the second wave, pregnant and peripartum women have experienced more severe illness of Covid than the first wave.
There have been at least 10 times more ICU admissions and mechanical vaccination requirements than in the first wave.
During the second wave, most of the affected pregnancies are in second trimester or early third trimester, whereas in first wave, these were mostly in 3rd trimester,” said Dr Shalini Rathore, incharge Covid at government-run Mahila Chikitsalaya.
According to the doctors, patients who came in late have prolonged recovery time and some of these hospitalised patients also manifested with miocarditis and acute renal failure, which was a rarity during the first wave among admitted patients.
“Patients first have mild symptoms such as fever, cough, diarrhoea and then breathlessness.
They come only when there is breathlessness.
Therefore, pregnant women must consult with their doctors when they get fever.
Any fever unless proved otherwise is Covid.
They have to come when they have fever because when there is breathlessness, ARDS sets in and oxygen saturation falls rapidly and it is difficult to save patients or their recovery time is prolonged with multiple complications such as septicaemia, pneumothorax, myocarditis, acute renal failure requiring dialysis, and thromboembolism,” said Dr Rathore.
Due to fear of Covid, a lot of pregnant women do not go to hospitals for regular checkups.
“Though patients are reluctant in visiting hospitals in the current situation, it is still advisable that patients should overcome their fears and visit hospitals for antenatal checkups.
If they avoid their visit for a longer time, then there are chances of missing important check-ups and investigations of themselves and the baby,”said Dr Arti Mahla, consultant obstetrics and gynechology at a private hospital.
Dr Mahla said patients are more worried about fetal outcome in Covid infection as there are more chances of fetal hypoxia, premature delivery and even intrauterine fetal death in case of decreased oxygen saturation and pneumonitis cases.