Updated / Tuesday, 13 Apr 2021
17:34
The results indicate a link to the B117 variant of Covid
Six cases of stillbirth and one case of second trimester miscarriage have been caused by Covid-19 since January, according to the RCPI Faculty of Pathology and the Institute of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists.
A statement released this afternoon said: There have been six cases of stillbirth and one case of second trimester miscarriage caused by SARS-CoV2 placentitis since January 2021 in Ireland. The six cases are on a background of a total of 11 cases of SARS-CoV2 placentitis identified in Ireland since the start of the pandemic. Results to date, from the babies deaths, indicate a link with the B117 variant of concern which may explain why this finding was not a significant feature of the 1st and 2nd waves in 2020.
The director of the HSE's National Women and Infants Programme has said it is "more important" that pregnant women protect themselves from Covid-19 than the rest of the population, but he does not think all pregnant women should be automatically vaccinated.