A top American scientific body has launched a study to track the prevalence and impact of COVID-19 infection among approximately 16,000 pregnant women in seven countries, including India.

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The study will follow women through pregnancy and 12 months after childbirth to compare maternal, fetal and newborn outcomes of participants who have been infected with the virus to those of pregnant women who have not been infected, the National Institute of Health (NIH) said, announcing the launch of the study on September 1.

The participating countries are India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Kenya, Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo and Guatemala, it said. The study will be conducted by the Global Network for Women's and Children's Health Research, a group of clinical sites funded by the NIH's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).At delivery, women enrolled in the study will receive an antibody test to determine if they have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, the NIH said in a statement.