Clinical characteristics and evolution of 71 neonates born to mothers with COVID-19 at a tertiary center in Brazil

Bruna de Paula Duarte; Vera Lucia Jornada Krebs; Valdenise Martins Laurindo Tuma Calil; Werther Brunow de Carvalho; Maria Augusta Bento Cicaroni Gibelli; Rossana Pulcineli Vieira Francisco

doi:10.1016/j.clinsp.2022.100136

Clinical characteristics and evolution of 71 neonates born to mothers with COVID-19 at a tertiary center in Brazil

Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2022 Jan-Dec:77:100136. doi: 10.1016/j.clinsp.2022.100136. Epub 2022 Nov 2.

Authors

Bruna de Paula Duarte¹, Vera Lucia Jornada Krebs², Valdenise Martins Laurindo Tuma Calil², Werther Brunow de Carvalho², Maria Augusta Bento Cicaroni Gibelli², Rossana Pulcineli Vieira Francisco³

Affiliations

¹ Departamento de Pediatria da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: brunadpduarte@gmail.com.
² Departamento de Pediatria da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
³ Departamento de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.

Abstract

Introduction: Limited data are available on pregnant women with COVID-19 and their neonates.

Objective: This study aimed to describe clinical characteristics and evolution from birth to discharge of a retrospective cohort of 71 neonates, with one set of twins, born to women with COVID-19 diagnosed at the end of pregnancy. The authors included all newborns admitted into a neonatal unit of a tertiary hospital in Brazil, between March 2020 and March 2021, whose unvaccinated mothers had COVID-19 symptoms and RT-PCR (Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction) for SARS-CoV-2 positive within fourteen days prior to delivery. Newborns to mothers with COVID-19 symptoms and negative tests for SARS-CoV-2 were excluded.

Results: The main route of birth delivery was cesarean, corresponding to 60 pregnant women (84.5%). The foremost indications for cesarean were pregnant with critical disease (24.6%) and acute fetal distress (20.3%). The mean birth weight was 2452 g (865‒3870 g) and the mean gestational age was 34^5/7 weeks (25‒40 weeks). There were 45 premature newborns (63.3%), of which 21 newborns (29.5%) were less than 32 weeks of gestational age. RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 on oropharyngeal swabs was positive in 2 newborns (2.8%) and negative in the other 69 newborns (97.2%). Most newborns (51.4%) needed respiratory support. Therapeutic interventions during hospitalization were inotropic drugs (9.9%), antibiotics (22.8%), parenteral nutrition (26.8%), and phototherapy (46.5%).

Conclusion: Maternal COVID-19 diagnosticated close to delivery has an impact on the first days of neonatal life.

Keywords: Brazil; COVID-19; Neonatology; Newborn.

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Female
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / prevention & control
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Complications, Infectious* / diagnosis
Pregnancy Complications, Infectious* / epidemiology
Pregnancy Outcome
Retrospective Studies
SARS-CoV-2