A hypertensive ailment, preeclampsia, can jeopardize the wellness of both the pregnant individual and their developing child.(Image credit: Oscar Wong via Getty Images)
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Contracting COVID-19 while pregnant notably elevates the likelihood of experiencing the hypertensive disorder referred to as preeclampsia — however, inoculation provides protection against this critical pregnancy entanglement, according to fresh findings.
Investigations have repeatedly indicated that COVID-19 can adversely affect outcomes in pregnancy. The novel findings propose that the coronavirus contagion heightened the preeclampsia risk by 45% during the pandemic among expecting mothers who contracted it, relative to those who did not. Unvaccinated individuals who were infected with COVID-19 faced a 78% increase in risk.
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According to co-lead study author Dr. José Villar, a professor of perinatal medicine at the University of Oxford, if substantiated, these conclusions would represent a “breakthrough” in comprehending the potential associations between preeclampsia and viruses, according to Live Science.
“A protective effect”
Typically, preeclampsia emerges during the latter half of pregnancy or immediately after childbirth in about 3% to 8% of expectant mothers. Preeclampsia manifests as persistently elevated blood pressure and frequently, proteinuria, signifying kidney impairment. Additional symptoms encompass visual disturbances, vomiting, intense headaches, or abrupt edema in the face, extremities, or feet.
Preeclampsia has the potential to precipitate significant sequelae, including harm to the liver and renal system, cardiac overexertion, and disturbances to the placenta’s blood supply. In some instances, it may advance to eclampsia, characterized by brain edema, seizures, or a comatose state. Both preeclampsia and eclampsia can constitute life-threatening scenarios for both the mother and the neonate.
The precise etiology of preeclampsia remains elusive to scientists. Some investigation implies that it originates from anomalies in placental growth, but it’s not entirely explicit whether placental malfunctioning precipitates preeclampsia or arises as a consequence. However, there’s a growing body of evidence indicating that viral infections, such as COVID-19, could contribute in select instances by inducing alterations within the immune system and prompting blood-vessel irregularities, which are central to preeclampsia manifestations.
Villar’s research team speculated that COVID-19 inoculations may mitigate this risk by reducing the incidence of COVID-19 infection and severe disease. They also postulated that inoculation might generally enhance the immune system, thus providing safeguards against other infections and injuries to blood vessels.
In this investigation, published on Feb. 18 in the eClinicalMedicine journal, the scientists scrutinized data gathered from over 6,500 women across 18 nations who were pregnant between 2020 and 2022. A third of the participants were diagnosed with COVID-19 during pregnancy. Roughly 58% had not received a COVID-19 vaccination at the moment when their data was amassed. Among the remaining women, about 31% acquired a booster inoculation in addition to concluding their initial vaccination regimen.
A recent study indicates that COVID-19 vaccines may aid in lessening the risk of preeclampsia, particularly when the pregnant person is up to date regarding their boosters.
The researchers noted that inoculation appeared to provide a “protective effect” against preeclampsia, and that booster dosages contributed an additional safeguard. Of particular note, women who acquired booster inoculations also exhibited reduced rates of unfavorable pregnancy sequelae overall — measured by an index score that encompassed occurrences such as preterm delivery, entry into an intensive treatment facility, and additional factors — in contrast to unvaccinated women.
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That parallels the results of a 2024 investigation, which determined that women who received a minimum of one COVID-19 inoculation were at a lower likelihood of experiencing preterm deliveries, stillbirths, or having neonates of restricted size according to gestational age, than individuals who had not been vaccinated.
According to Dr. Elena Raffetti, an assistant professor at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden and lead author of the 2024 report, “Vaccinations are both safe and preventative concerning multiple risks.” Raffetti, who was not involved in the latest study, noted that “There was absolutely no elevated risk of preeclampsia among women who were vaccinated.”
The authors of the newest investigation emphasized that their results validate current recommendations for vaccination. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, expectant individuals should acquire an updated COVID-19 vaccination at their earliest convenience — whether while attempting conception, during any trimester of pregnancy, or while breastfeeding or in the postpartum interval.
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The novel analysis does present certain shortcomings. As an illustration, while the researchers endeavored to regulate elements that could sway the results — for instance, the women’s ages, history of smoking, or medical issues associated with preeclampsia, such as pre-existing elevated blood pressure and diabetes — Villar suggested that alternative disparities between the vaccinated and unvaccinated cohorts may have influenced their respective risks.
According to the study authors, future research investigating the causes of preeclampsia should emphasize how the immune system reacts to both infections and inoculations, and why contagions like COVID-19 appear to elevate the risk of the ailment.
Villar commented that much remains ambiguous regarding the etiology of preeclampsia, signifying that any fresh comprehension could aid researchers in deciphering this “significant affliction impacting both the mother and the unborn child.”
Disclaimer
This writing is intended for informational purposes only and is not designed to serve as a substitute for healthcare guidance.
Article Sources
Cavoretto, P. I., et al. (2026). Covid-19 vaccination status during pregnancy and preeclampsia risk: The pandemic-era cohort of the INTERCOVID consortium. eClinicalMedicine, 103785. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2026.103785
TOPICSvaccines
Gabriela GalvinLive Science Contributor
Gabriela Galvin functions as a freelance journalist residing in London. Previously, she held roles as a health correspondent at U.S. News & World Report situated in Washington, D.C., coupled with a stint at Euronews located in Brussels. Her writing portfolio extends to inclusions in New Lines Magazine, New Scientist, EUobserver, and Global Health NOW, among others. In 2025, she was awarded the European Press Prize for her migration-centered journalistic contributions.
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A fresh examination shows that the risk of mortality during pregnancy in the U.S. is 44-fold greater than mortality due to abortion