Background The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which is caused by a novel beta-coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, has posed significant public health threats worldwide. We aimed to summarize and compare the effects of SARS, MERS, and COVID-19 on perinatal outcomes.

Methods We search for articles that reported the association between pregnancy and SARS, MERS, or COVID-19 in five databases. A meta-analysis was performed to calculate the pooled prevalence and 95% confidence interval (95% CI).

Results 27 papers involving 106 patients and five unreported cases of pregnant women with COVID-19 were included. The pooled estimate of fatality rates in the SARS and MERS groups were 25% (95% CI 0.01, 0.49) and 40% (95% CI -0.03, 0.83), respectively, whereas only one pregnant women in the COVID-19 group reported death. Stillbirth were more frequent in the SARS (20%, 95% CI -0.15, 0.55) and MERS groups (40%, 95% CI -0.03, 0.83) than COVID-19 group (8%, 95% CI -0.07, 0.23), and the incidence rate of PROM was the same in SARS (20%, 95% CI -0.15, 0.55) and COVID-19 groups (20%, 95% CI 0.09, 0.30). However, the rate of premature delivery of pregnancies was higher in the COVID-19 group (46%, 95% CI 0.30, 0.61) than in the SARS group (35%, 95% CI 0.12, 0.58). There were no confirmed cases of vertical transmission in pregnant women with SARS, MERS, or COVID-19.

Conclusions The condition of pregnant women with COVID-19 was slightly milder than that of pregnant women with SARS and MERS.