No Increased Risk Of Birth Defects After Covid Vaccination During Pregnancy, Study Finds

Topline

There is no increased risk of birth defects detectable by ultrasound for babies born to mothers vaccinated against Covid-19 while pregnant, according to a new study published in JAMA Pediatrics, adding to a substantial body of research demonstrating the safety and benefits of vaccination during pregnancy for both mother and child.

Key Facts

Vaccination during pregnancy was “not associated” with a congenital abnormality detectable by ultrasound, according to the peer reviewed study of 2,622 pregnant people who received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine while pregnant.

Major fetal anomalies—such as the baby’s heart not forming properly or the spine not closing properly—were identified by ultrasound at similar rates for those receiving the vaccine (4.2%) and those who were unvaccinated (5.1%).

Rates for vaccinated and unvaccinated mothers were in line with baseline levels and were similar when the window for vaccination during pregnancy narrowed to just the earlier parts of pregnancy when abnormalities are most likely to form.

The findings are in line with data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which show no increased risk of miscarriage or birth defects after vaccination, said Dr. Emily Miller, chief of obstetrics at Northwestern Medicine and one of the study’s authors.

Crucial Quote

“Patients say, ‘I don’t think the data is good, and everyone is getting Covid anyway, so why would I expose my baby?’” said the study’s first author, Dr. Rachel Ruderman, a fourth-year resident in obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “Then I tell people, ‘Actually, the data is really good,’ and I feel like they’re receptive. So, these findings will only add to that.”

Key Background

By design and an abundance of caution, pregnant people were routinely left out of the early major trials testing Covid-19 vaccines and the lack of information meant many regulators offered mixed or changing guidance as to whether they should get vaccinated. These findings go some way to filling that gap and add to a now an overwhelming amount of evidence supporting the safety and benefits of vaccination during pregnancy for both mother and child. Pregnant people infected with Covid are at much higher risk of serious disease and death, far more likely to give birth early and are more likely to experience serious complications during pregnancy. In contrast, studies have repeatedly shown the safety of vaccination during pregnancy and breastfeeding, even passing protective antibodies down to the child.

Further Reading

Covid-19 Raises Risk Of Pregnancy Complications—Including Death Around Birth, Preterm Delivery And Postpartum Hemorrhage—Study Finds (Forbes)

Covid Infection More Than Doubles Risk Of Severe Pregnancy Complications—Including Sepsis, Blood Clots And Preterm Birth—Study Finds (Forbes)

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