Impact of COVID-19 on antenatal care provision

Abstract

Dear Editor, Antenatal care services have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic despite the fact that pregnant women were placed in the ‘vulnerable group’ by the UK Government on 16 March 20201. The risk of pregnant women contracting COVID-19 means that careful surveillance of their health is needed. Prevention and control of COVID-19 infection among pregnant women and the potential risk of vertical transmission have become a major concern2. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to maternity services adjusting how they provide antenatal care to pregnant women due to the government restrictions regarding social distancing, which has impacted on pregnant women’s access to routine antenatal care. The advice to all pregnant women from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is to decide if the need for an antenatal appointment is greater than the risk of being exposed to COVID-191. This means that women have to make the difficult decision of what antenatal care provision they require