Obstetrics and Gynecology

Overview

Kavita Narang, M.D., a fellow in Maternal and Fetal Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, reviews her article in the August 2020 issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings. The article examines the potential effects of COVID-19 infection in pregnancy. Because of physiological, metabolic and vascular changes in both typical and high-risk pregnancies, pregnant patients may be at higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Furthermore, pregnancy may modify or exacerbate the clinical presentation of COVID-19. If infected, pregnant patients may also experience increased risk of other pregnancy complications, including preeclampsia and preterm birth.