Impact of COVID-19 on maternal mortality in the Kyrgyz Republic

COVID-19 is an acute respiratory infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. The emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus raised immediate concerns about the impact of infection on a pregnant woman. Aim of the study: assess the impact of the new coronavirus infection on the structure of maternal mortality in the Kyrgyz Republic for 2020. Materials and methods. A retrospective study of all cases of maternal mortality in the Kyrgyz Republic for 2020 was conducted. To estimate the odds ratio (OR) of maternal mortality indicating the 95% confidence interval (CI) in the group of women who died due to COVID-19, in comparison with other causes, binary logistic regression models were used including the following clinical data of mothers: preterm birth, obesity, gestational diabetes mellitus, severe preeclampsia and method of delivery. Results. Of all cases of maternal mortality in 2020, the proportion of deaths from causes related to COVID-19 was 39.7% (27 out of 68 cases). In the group of those who died from COVID-19, there was a higher likelihood of early delivery (OR=3.801 [2.484-5.815]) and the development of severe preeclampsia (OR 5.801 [7.484-3.815]). Obesity was an additional risk factor for maternal mortality in COVID-19 (OR 4.196 [3.101–5.676]). Conclusion. Mortality from COVID-19 in 2020 statistically significantly changed the overall maternal mortality rate in the Kyrgyz Republic, amounting to 44.1 cases per 100,000 live births, versus 26.1 in 2019. Risk factors for maternal mortality in COVID-19 include obesity, diabetes mellitus and severe preeclampsia