The survey by the Santos Dumont Institute (ISD) on maternal deaths associated with Covid-19 was featured in the newspapers O Povo, in Fortaleza (CE), and Tribuna do Norte, in Natal (RN). The data show that at least 39 women died while pregnant or days after giving birth in cases treated as suspected or confirmed of the disease in the world – and that Brazil leads in total number of stories (20) and in a comparison per 100 thousand inhabitants. Starting at 10 am this Wednesday (10) the doctor and general director of the Institute, Reginaldo Freitas Júnior, will address the subject in live “Guidelines for pregnant and postpartum women in times of Covid-19”, promoted by the Viver Bem Guide. The live conversation will be hosted by journalist Juliana Garcia and broadcast on the Guide's Instagram profile, @guiaviverbem.

Click here to learn more about the ISD survey.

“This moment has brought to light chronic problems with maternity care in Brazil that already existed, but which have become worse due to the current context,” said Freitas Júnior, who also holds a PhD in medical sciences from USP, is a professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UFRN, and is a National Instructor for the Zero Maternal Deaths from Postpartum Hemorrhage Strategy of the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), in an interview with O Povo. He advocates prenatal care even during the pandemic, among other strategies to reduce risks to women, not only during this period. “These deaths could be avoided if there was monitoring,” the director also told O Povo.

The Ceará-based vehicle released the Institute’s data in the reports “Maternal mortality rate from coronavirus is higher in Brazil than in 8 countries in the world combined” and “66.6% of ICU beds for pregnant women in Ceará are occupied by pregnant women with Covid-19”, which also cites the newsletter on “Covid-19 and Pregnancy” produced with the participation of ISD. Click here to access the Newsletter and here to download illustrations with answers to women's most frequently asked questions about pregnancy and breastfeeding, as well as a hospitalization checklist and a proposed flowchart for care.

In Tribuna do Norte, the warning about the need for action to make pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum safer is in the report “Pregnancy during the pandemic requires care, warns specialist in RN”.

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Click below to see the reports in PDF:

*Maternal mortality rate due to coronavirus is higher in Brazil than in 8 countries in the world combined

*Pregnancy during the pandemic requires care, warns specialist in RN

*66.6% of ICU beds for pregnant women in Ceará are occupied by pregnant women with Covid-19

The subject was also the subject of a live interview on InterTV, Globo's local affiliate. Click below to watch the video:

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The ISD is a social organization of the federal government linked to the Ministry of Education and a reference in teaching, research, extension and services – via the Unified Health System (SUS) – in the areas of maternal and child health and health of people with disabilities, as well as in neuroscience and neuroengineering. The Institute's continuing education actions on pregnancy during the pandemic were also recently highlighted on the MEC Portal. Click here to read.