RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Global variations in the burden of SARS-CoV-2 infection and its outcomes in pregnant women by geographical region and country’s income status: a meta-analysis JF BMJ Global Health JO BMJ Global Health FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd SP e010060 DO 10.1136/bmjgh-2022-010060 VO 7 IS 11 A1 Sheikh, Jameela A1 Lawson, Heidi A1 Allotey, John A1 Yap, Magnus A1 Balaji, Rishab A1 Kew, Tania A1 Stallings, Elena A1 Coomar, Dyuti A1 Gaetano-Gil, Andrea A1 Zamora, Javier A1 Thangaratinam, Shakila A1 YR 2022 UL http://gh.bmj.com/content/7/11/e010060.abstract AB Introduction The prevalence of COVID-19 and its impact varied between countries and regions. Pregnant women are at high risk of COVID-19 complications compared with non-pregnant women. The magnitude of variations, if any, in SARS-CoV-2 infection rates and its health outcomes among pregnant women by geographical regions and country’s income level is not known.Methods We performed a random-effects meta-analysis as part of the ongoing PregCOV-19 living systematic review (December 2019 to April 2021). We included cohort studies on pregnant women with COVID-19 reporting maternal (mortality, intensive care admission and preterm birth) and offspring (mortality, stillbirth, neonatal intensive care admission) outcomes and grouped them by World Bank geographical region and income level. We reported results as proportions with 95% confidence intervals (CI).Results We included 311 studies (2 003 724 pregnant women, 57 countries). The rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant women varied significantly by region (p<0.001) and income level (p<0.001), with the highest rates observed in Latin America and the Caribbean (19%, 95% CI 12% to 27%; 13 studies, 38 748 women) and lower-middle-income countries (13%, 95% CI 6% to 23%; 25 studies, 100 080 women). We found significant differences in maternal and offspring outcomes by region and income level. Lower-middle-income countries reported significantly higher rates of maternal mortality (0.68%, 95% CI 0.24% to 1.27%; 3 studies, 31 136 women), intensive care admission (4.53%, 95% CI 2.57% to 6.91%; 54 studies, 23 420 women) and stillbirths (1.09%, 95% CI 0.48% to 1.88%; 41 studies, 4724 women) than high-income countries. COVID-19 complications disproportionately affected South Asia, which had the highest maternal mortality rate (0.88%, 95% CI 0.16% to 1.95%; 17 studies, 2023 women); Latin America and the Caribbean had the highest stillbirth rates (1.97%, 95% CI 0.9% to 3.33%; 10 studies, 1750 women).Conclusion The rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant women vary globally, and its health outcomes mirror the COVID-19 burden and global maternal and offspring inequalities.PROSPERO registration number CRD42020178076.No data are available. No additional data are available.