Delta Variant Linked to Increased Risk of Stillbirth, CDC Study Finds

Pregnant women who become infected with the delta variant are at increased risk of a stillbirth or dying during childbirth, according to two new studies published by the CDC. The research expands on reports from doctors nationwide who have noted an unprecedented rise in pregnant women becoming critically ill with COVID-19. Stillbirths were rare in the U.S. before the pandemic, at a rate of .59 percent. Once the delta variant took hold in July this year, the rates rose exponentially: 2.7 percent of COVID-positive pregnancies ended in stillbirth, according to the CDC report.