Infants Born to Mothers With a New Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Case series of four neonates without a control group
PubMed 32266184 · doi:10.3389/fped.2020.00104
What was done
This case series observed the clinical course of four full-term singleton infants born to mothers with confirmed COVID-19 in Wuhan, China. Diagnostic testing for SARS-CoV-2 was performed on infants whose parents provided consent, and clinical symptoms, radiologic, hematologic, and respiratory outcomes were tracked through hospital discharge.
What was found
Three of the four infants underwent diagnostic testing for SARS-CoV-2, and all 3 (0%) tested negative; parental consent for testing was not obtained for the fourth infant. None of the four infants developed severe clinical symptoms such as fever, cough, diarrhea, or abnormal hematologic or radiologic findings, and all four were discharged alive. Reported complications included rashes at birth of unknown etiology (n = 2), facial ulcerations (n = 1), and tachypnea requiring non-invasive mechanical ventilation for 3 days (n = 1).
Why it matters
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, these cases provided preliminary descriptive evidence suggesting an absence of vertical transmission and favorable short-term outcomes among term infants born to infected mothers.
Limits
The sample size is extremely small (n = 4) from a single geographic center. One infant was not tested for SARS-CoV-2 due to lack of consent, long-term post-discharge follow-up was not reported, and the absence of a control group prevents comparative risk assessment.
Cited by
- supports A clinical report of four infants born to COVID-19-positive mothers in Wuhan found no evidence of vertical transmission at birth.