April 4 (UPI) — People vaccinated against COVID-19 before or during pregnancy are not at increased risk for having babies with body or functional “anomalies,” or abnormalities, a study published Monday by JAMA Pediatrics found.
Of those who received a vaccine dose within 30 days of conception through 14 weeks of gestation, or pregnancy, 4.2% had evidence of fetal abnormalities that may affect life expectancy, health or functioning, the data showed.
Among those who received a vaccine dose during weeks two through 10 of gestation, 4% had fetal abnormalities such as heart defects or microcephaly, or a smaller-than-normal head, the researchers said.
For study participants who remained unvaccinated prior to conception and during the early stages of pregnancies, this figure was 4.4%, according to the researchers.
“Our findings suggest that COVID-19 vaccination during early pregnancy is not associated with an increased risk of fetal structural anomalies identified with [ultrasound],” researchers from Northwestern and Penn State universities wrote.
“Given the urgent need for safety data on COVID-19 vaccines, these preliminary findings may be useful when considering vaccination during early pregnancy,” they said.
Previous studies have found that the mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech do not increase the risk for pregnancy complications, including preterm birth.
In addition, research suggests that pregnant people vaccinated against the virus pass immunity on to their unborn children.
Conversely, infection with the virus that causes COVID-19 during pregnancy has been shown to raise the risk for stillbirth, among other birth complications.
Up to 5% of births in the United States involve babies born structural defects that could affect future development and even be life-threatening, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
For this study, Ruderman and her colleagues analyzed the electronic medical records for nearly 3,200 pregnant people, more than 2,600 of whom received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine between 30 days prior to conception and 14 weeks of gestation.
More than 1,100 of the people in the study were fully vaccinated against the virus, the researchers said.
They compared rates of fetal structural anomalies, as observed on sonogram, or ultrasound, among the unvaccinated and vaccinated participants, they said.
“Clinicians may use this evidence in counseling their patients on the safety of [COVID-19] vaccination,” the researchers wrote.