COVID-19 Infection during Pregnancy: Disruptions in Lipid Metabolism and Implications for Newborn Health

The COVID-19 pandemic has raised questions about indirect impact in pregnant women on the development of their future children. Investigating the characteristics of lipid metabolism in the “mother–placenta–fetus” system can give information about the pathophysiology of COVID-19 infection during pregnancy. A total of 234 women were included in study. Maternal plasma, cord blood, and amniotic fluid lipidome were analyzed using HPLC-MS/MS. Differences in lipid profile were searched by Mann–Whitney and Kruskall–Wallis test, and diagnostic model based on logistic regression were built by AIC. Elevated levels of lysophospholipids, triglycerides, sphingomyelins, and oxidized lipids were registered in patients’ maternal and cord plasma after COVID-19 infection. An increase in maternal plasma sphingomyelins and oxidized lipids was observed in cases of infection during the second trimester. In amniotic fluid, compared to the control group, nine lipids were reduced and six were elevated. Levels of phosphoglycerides, lysophosphoglycerides, and phosphatidylinositols decreased during infection in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. A health diagnostic model for newborns based on maternal plasma was developed for each group and exhibited good diagnostic value (AUC > 0.85). Maternal and cord plasma’s lipidome changes during delivery, which are associated with COVID-19 infection during pregnancy, are synergistic. The most significant disturbances occur with infections in the second trimester of pregnancy.