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What are the risks of COVID-19 disease in pregnancy?

If you have COVID-19 disease in the later stages of pregnancy both you and your baby are more likely to have severe illness and need hospital treatment and intensive care support. UK data has shown that almost every pregnant woman with COVID-19 disease who needed hospital treatment or intensive care, had not been vaccinated.

Pregnant women with the following underlying medical conditions are at a higher risk of suffering serious complications from COVID-19 disease:

  • immune problems
  • diabetes
  • high blood pressure
  • heart disease
  • severe asthma

Or if you are:

  • overweight
  • over the age 35
  • in your third trimester or pregnancy (over 28 weeks)
  • of Black or Asian minority ethnic background
  • unvaccinated or partially vaccinated

The overall risk from COVID-19 disease for you and your new baby is low but has increased since the first waves of COVID-19.