Headlines on social media have been claiming that Covid-19 vaccines can damage the placenta - a vital organ that provides oxygen and nutrients to a growing baby. 

"The placenta is like the black box in an airplane. If something goes wrong with a pregnancy, we usually see changes in the placenta that can help us figure out what happened," said study co-author Dr. Jeffery Goldstein, assistant professor of pathology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in a statement.

According to the new Northwestern Medicine study published in the journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, there is no evidence suggesting that Covid-19 vaccines are harmful for the placenta. Within the framework of the study, placentas from 84 vaccinated and 116 unvaccinated women have been examined. 

As repored in the results of the study "placental examination in women with vaccination showed no increased incidence of decidual arteriopathy, fetal vascular malperfusion, low-grade chronic villitis, or chronic histiocytic intervillositis compared with women in the control group."

"From what we can tell, the COVID vaccine does not damage the placenta." said Dr. Goldstein. 

Source: Shanes, Elisheva D. MD; Otero, Sebastian BA; Mithal, Leena B. MD, MSCI; Mupanomunda, Chiedza A. BS; Miller, Emily S. MD, MPH; Goldstein, Jeffery A. MD, PhD Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Vaccination in Pregnancy, Obstetrics & Gynecology: May 11, 2021 - Volume Latest Articles - Issue - 10.1097/AOG.0000000000004457 doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000004457