UAB Hospital leaders alarmed over number of pregnant COVID-19 patients in ICU

The intensive care unit at UAB Hospital in Birmingham, Ala., is seeing an "extraordinary" number of pregnant women, Steve Stigler, MD, director of UAB Hospital's medical ICU, said Aug. 20. 

Physicians in the hospital's division of maternal-fetal medicine reported that 39 pregnant women without full COVID-19 vaccination have been admitted to UAB Hospital in August. Of those, 10 are in the ICU and seven are on ventilators. 

"Truly, we've never had this number of pregnant women in my ICU," Dr. Stigler told UAB News. "It is alarming. In a typical month, we may have one or two pregnant women who require our care in a medical intensive care unit, but those are very rare circumstances." 

UAB Hospital leaders said pregnant COVID-19 patients have had to deliver their babies prematurely. Two pregnant patients with COVID-19 have died, and another nine have lost their babies during the second or third trimester. 

The CDC has recommended that all pregnant women or women who may become pregnant get fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

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