Study: COVID Impairs Placenta's Immune Defense

A new study published today in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology shows a mother-to-be's COVID-19 infection can impair her placena's immune response, leaving it vulnerable to other viruses and infections during pregnancy.

"It seems like after COVID-19 in pregnancy, the placenta is exhausted and can't really fight a new viral infection as well as it could before," said Dr. Kristina Adams Waldorf, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the senior author of the study. "The disease itself can be mild or it can be severe, and we are still seeing these abnormal effects on the placenta."

Learn more about the study in our news release.

Download broadcast-ready soundbites of Adams Waldorf discussing the findings of her research.

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Publication: Brahm Coler, et al. Diminished antiviral innate immune gene expression in the placenta following a maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2022.09.023

Original Story Source: University of Washington