evaluation of neonatal and maternal outcomes in pregnant women with covid-19 in southern iran: a case-control study

Background: pregnant women and their fetuses are considered high-risk populations during pandemics, including coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19). objectives: this study aims to evaluate maternal and neonatal outcomes among pregnant women infected with covid-19. methods: this descriptive, analytical, retrospective case-control study included covid-19-infected pregnant women referred to hospitals affiliated with shiraz university of medical sciences in southern iran from march 2021 to march 2022. data were collected using a pre-designed checklist covering demographic information and maternal and neonatal outcomes. analyses were performed using spss version 25, with the significance level set at p < 0.05. results: significant differences were observed in maternal and neonatal outcomes for variables such as vaginal bleeding, fetal distress, premature birth, intrauterine death, icu admission, low birth weight, and nicu admission (p < 0.05). although neonatal transient tachypnea and pneumonia were more than twice as common in infants of covid-19-infected mothers compared to controls, these findings were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). similarly, abnormal lung x-rays, thrombocytopenia, and positive crp were slightly more frequent in infants born to covid-19-infected mothers, but these differences did not reach statistical significance (p > 0.05). conclusions: the study highlights the increased risks of adverse short-term and long-term maternal and neonatal outcomes associated with covid-19 during pregnancy. prioritizing pregnancy-specific interventions is crucial in pandemic management to mitigate these risks and improve outcomes for both mothers and their infants.