Objective To report mode of delivery and immediate neonatal outcome in women infected with COVID-19. Design Retrospective study. Setting Twelve hospitals in northern Italy. Participants Pregnant women with COVID-19-confirmed infection who delivered. Exposure COVID 19 infection in pregnancy. Conclusions Although postpartum infection cannot be excluded with 100% certainty, these findings suggest that vaginal delivery is associated with a low risk of intrapartum SARS-Cov-2 transmission to the newborn.

The impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection during gestation remains unclear. Here, we analyse the viral genome on maternal and newborns nasopharyngeal swabs, vaginal swabs, maternal and umbilical cord plasma, placenta and umbilical cord biopsies, amniotic fluids and milk from 31 mothers with SARS-CoV-2 infection. In addition, we also test specific anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and expression of genes involved in inflammatory responses in placentas, and in maternal and umbilical cord plasma. We detect SARS-CoV-2 genome in one umbilical cord blood and in two at-term placentas, in one vaginal mucosa and in one milk specimen. Furthermore, we report the presence of specific anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG antibodies in one umbilical cord blood and in one milk specimen. Finally, in the three documented cases of vertical transmission, SARS-CoV-2 infection was accompanied by a strong inflammatory response. Together, these data support the hypothesis that in utero SARS-CoV-2 vertical transmission, while low, is possible. These results might help defining proper obstetric management of COVID-19 pregnant women, or putative indications for mode and timing of delivery.

Congenital infection with human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. In an uncontrolled study published in 2005, administration of CMV-specific hyperimmune globulin to pregnant women with primary CMV infection\ud significantly reduced the rate of intrauterine transmission, from 40% to 16%. Methods: We evaluated the efficacy of hyperimmune globulin in a phase 2, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study. A total of 124 pregnant women with primary\ud CMV infection at 5 to 26 weeks of gestation were randomly assigned within 6 weeks after the presumed onset of infection to receive hyperimmune globulin or placebo every 4 weeks until 36 weeks of gestation or until detection of CMV in amniotic fluid. The primary end point was congenital infection diagnosed at birth\ud or by means of amniocentesis. Results: A total of 123 women could be evaluated in the efficacy analysis (1 woman in the\ud placebo group withdrew). The rate of congenital infection was 30% (18 fetuses or infants of 61 women) in the hyperimmune globulin group and 44% (27 fetuses or infants of 62 women) in the placebo group (a difference of 14 percentage points; 95% confidence interval, −3 to 31; P = 0.13). There was no significant difference\ud between the two groups or, within each group, between the women who transmitted the virus and those who did not, with respect to levels of virus-specific antibodies, T-cell–mediated immune response, or viral DNA in the blood. The clinical\ud outcome of congenital infection at birth was similar in the two groups. The number of obstetrical adverse events was higher in the hyperimmune globulin group than in the placebo group (13% vs. 2%). Conclusions: In this study involving 123 women who could be evaluated, treatment with hyperimmune globulin did not significantly modify the course of primary CMV infection during pregnancy. (Funded by Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco; CHIP ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00881517; EudraCT no. 2008-006560-11.

Table 1. Countries, territories or areas with reported laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths. Data as of 13 April 2020 * Reporting Country/ Territory/Area † Total confirmed ‡ cases Total confirmed new cases Total deaths Total new deaths Transmission classification § Days since last reported case Western Pacific Region China 83597 115 3351 2 Clusters of cases Republic of Korea 10537 25 217 3 Clusters of cases Japan 7255 507 102 4 Clusters of cases Australia 6322 33 61 4 Clusters of cases Malaysia 4683 153 76 3 Clusters of cases Philippines 4648 220 297 50 Clusters of cases Singapore 2532 233 8 0 Clusters of cases New Zealand 1064 15 5

BackgroundCytomegalovirus (CMV) is the leading infectious agent causing congenital sensorineural hearing loss and psychomotor retardation. CMV vaccine is currently unavailable and treatment options in pregnancy are limited. Susceptible pregnant women caring for children are at high risk for primary infection. CMV educational and hygienic measures have the potential to prevent primary maternal infection.MethodsA mixed interventional and observational controlled study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of hygiene information among pregnant women at risk for primary CMV infection for personal/occupational reasons. In the intervention arm, CMV-seronegative women, identified at the time of maternal serum screening for fetal aneuploidy at 11–12 weeks of gestation, were given hygiene information and prospectively tested for CMV until delivery. The comparison arm consisted of women enrolled at delivery who were neither tested for nor informed about CMV during pregnancy, and who had a serum sample stored at the screening for fetal aneuploidy. By design, groups were homogeneous for age, parity, education, and exposure to at least one risk factor. The primary outcome was CMV seroconversion. Acceptance of hygiene recommendations was a secondary objective and was measured by a self-report.FindingsFour out of 331 (1.2%) women seroconverted in the intervention group compared to 24/315 (7.6%) in the comparison group (delta = 6.4%; 95% CI 3.2–9.6; P < 0.001). There were 3 newborns with congenital infection in the intervention group and 8 in the comparison group (1 with cerebral ultrasound abnormalities at birth). Ninety-three percent of women felt hygiene recommendations were worth suggesting to all pregnant women at risk for infection.InterpretationThis controlled study provides evidence that an intervention based on the identification and hygiene counseling of CMV-seronegative pregnant women significantly prevents maternal infection. While waiting for CMV vaccine to become available, the intervention described may represent a responsible and acceptable primary prevention strategy to reduce congenital CMV.

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ECFCs are low at extremely low gestational ages and increase during gestation; extremely preterm infants who display lower numbers at birth have an increased risk of developing BPD. Our findings suggest that decreased ECFCs following extremely preterm birth may be associated with the risk for developing lung vascular immaturity characteristic of new BPD.

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