Introduction: Vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from the infected mother to the newborn is still uncertain and the definitive answer is under evaluation.
The objective: of this review was to evaluate the evidence available in the literature regarding whether the pregnant woman infected by SARS-CoV-2 represents a potential risk of vertical transmission to the fetus and/or newborn.
Material and method: A scoping review was performed using Science Direct, PubMed, and Cochrane library to search for research papers.
Inclusion criteria: published studies of pregnant mothers with COVID-19, with perinatal outcomes reported in the first 72 hours after birth.
Results: 569 studies were found; 65 of them were repeated. Therefore, 504 were evaluated, of which 460 were excluded. Finally, 42 research papers that met the inclusion criteria were analyzed. 334 pregnant women with COVID-19 and 335 new borns were described; of which 20 presented SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed by Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from nasopharyngeal swab. Of these, 18 were identified in the first 48 hours after birth and 12 presented with symptoms. The most frequent route of delivery was cesarean section in 76.2%, and the gestational age range of the newborns was between 26 and 40 weeks. In 86.8% of the cases, mother-child pairs were isolated.
Conclusion: Vertical transmission of COVID-19 is possible, although infrequent. Prospective studies are required to establish the possibility of in utero maternal- fetal transmission and its consequences.