Scientists said the findings were surprising, not least because a direct vaccine effect on the babies was unlikely. AFP
Scientists said the findings were surprising, not least because a direct vaccine effect on the babies was unlikely. AFP
Scientists said the findings were surprising, not least because a direct vaccine effect on the babies was unlikely. AFP
Scientists said the findings were surprising, not least because a direct vaccine effect on the babies was unlikely. AFP

Covid vaccine for pregnant women 'safe for newborn infants'


Nicky Harley
  • English
  • Arabic

Newborn babies have not been exposed to an increased health risk by their mothers being vaccinated against Covid-19, a study has found.

On the contrary, the research indicated the chances of babies of inoculated mothers developing serious neonatal complications were reduced.

The largest study focusing on the safety of newborn babies whose mothers were vaccinated during pregnancy found the mortality rate was reduced.

Lead author Mikael Norman, professor of paediatrics and neonatology at the Karolinska Institutet in Solna, Sweden, told The National his team was surprised at the results and remained puzzled over the reason behind the higher rates of protection afforded to babies of immunised mothers.

"The lower risk for neonatal death and neonatal brain lesions in babies to mothers who were vaccinated in pregnancy surprised us," he said.

"We did not expect the lower risk for neonatal death to be so robust, even after taking several background factors into account, such as maternal age, BMI, education, country of birth, smoking status, season of conception, parity, multiple births and gestational age.

"Analyses restricted to women without Covid-19 in pregnancy, or to infants born at term, infants without birth defects and singleton births did not alter the findings.

“We made several attempts to explain this finding. A direct vaccine effect is unlikely. Previous studies have shown that the vaccine does not cross the placenta and that it cannot be found in umbilical cord blood.”

The study, published in the medical journal JAMA, was a collaboration between Swedish and Norwegian scientists.

Researchers observed 200,000 newborns in both countries and conducted seven subgroup analyses of women and their babies.

Prof Norman said it was of vital importance to understand the root causes of the findings.

“No matter how we look at it, the finding remains and therefore we cannot say what the lower risk of death among infants of vaccinated women relates to,” he said.

"So far, we haven´t decided how to proceed. While we have large numbers of women and robust data, we are limited by the variables available in our national registers."

The researchers used national registers in Norway and Sweden and included 98 per cent of all newborn babies of women who became pregnant after Covid-19 vaccines became available.

All births from gestational week 22 onwards were included.

The first baby analysed was born in June 2021 and the last in January 2023. All babies were followed up for at least one month or for as long as they were admitted to a neonatal unit.

Research found babies whose mothers have received Covid vaccines have a lower risk of death, although scientists could not say why. AP
Research found babies whose mothers have received Covid vaccines have a lower risk of death, although scientists could not say why. AP

The study included 196,470 newborns of whom 48 per cent of their mothers had been vaccinated with one or more doses of an mRNA vaccine against Covid-19.

Almost 80 per cent had received the Pfizer/BioNTech shot and a little more than 20 per cent had had the Moderna vaccine.

In addition to a lower number of infant deaths, the researchers also found a significantly reduced risk of two other serious complications in infants born to mothers who had been vaccinated.

In total, 15 neonatal complications and conditions were studied.

“We saw lower rates of cerebral haemorrhages and hypoxia-ischemic conditions of the brain in the newborns of vaccinated than in babies of unvaccinated in pregnancy, while the incidence of other bleeding, blood clots or inflammation in various organ systems did not differ between the groups,” Prof Norman said.

He said the findings were of “great importance” for health professionals offering counselling, authorities issuing recommendations and for anyone who will become pregnant in the future.

“Covid-19 is still present in society and is probably something we will have to deal with for a long time,” he said.

“It is therefore very important for the 100,000 women who become pregnant every year in Sweden, and the 130 million in the world, to know that vaccination with mRNA-vaccines against Covid-19 is safe for their babies. We found no increased risks – if anything, infants to vaccinated women had lower risks for some severe outcomes.”

He said he hoped the research would encourage more people to take up the vaccine.

"Our findings are good news for pregnant women who want to protect themselves and their babies in the future," Prof Norman said.

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Explainer: Tanween Design Programme

Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.

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Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”

Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate. 

 

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.

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Amitav Ghosh, University of Chicago Press

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• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”

• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems

• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.

• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%

• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade

• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels

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Updated: February 06, 2024, 4:13 PM`