(CNN) The Covid-19 pandemic had a significant and negative impact on pregnant women and their infants, according to a global review of studies. There was a nearly sixfold increase in ectopic pregnancies - when the fertilized egg grows outside a woman's uterus, between January of 2020 and January 2021, the review found. The researchers from St. George's University of London determined that many of these problems may stem from a lack of access to medical care during the pandemic. Hospitals were overburdened with Covid-19 patients, and some women may have been reluctant to go to the doctor, concerned they'd be exposed to Covid-19. The study also found that the number of women who reported symptoms of depression increased, according to six of the 10 studies the researchers evaluated.

Source: CNN March 31, 2021 22:30 UTC