No abstract

NCT01531179.

Limited data are available on pregnant women with COVID-19 and their neonates. We aimed to evaluate the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of newborns born to women infected with COVID-19. A multicenter cohort study was conducted among newborns born to mothers with COVID-19 in 34 neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in Turkey. Pregnant women ( n = 125) who had a positive RT-PCR test and their newborns were enrolled. Cesarean section, prematurity, and low-birthweight infant rates were 71.2%, 26.4%, and 12.8%, respectively. Eight of 125 mothers (6.4%) were admitted to an intensive care unit for mechanical ventilation, among whom six died (4.8%). Majority of the newborns (86.4%) were followed in isolation rooms in the NICU. Four of 120 newborns (3.3%) had a positive RT-PCR test result. Although samples taken on the first day were negative, one neonate became positive on the second day and the other two on the fifth day. Sample from deep tracheal aspirate was positive on the first day in an intubated case. Conclusion : COVID-19 in pregnant women has important impacts on perinatal and neonatal outcomes. Maternal mortality, higher rates of preterm birth and cesarean section, suspected risk of vertical transmission, and low rate of breastfeeding show that family support should be a part of the care in the NICU. Trial registration : ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04401540 What is Known: • The common property of previous reports was the conclusions on maternal outcomes, rather than neonatal outcomes. • Published data showed similar outcomes between COVID-19 pregnant women and others. What is New: • Higher maternal mortality, higher rates of preterm birth and cesarean section, suspected risk of vertical transmission especially in a case with deep tracheal aspiration during the intubation, and the possible role of maternal disease severity on the outcomes are remarkable findings of this study. • In contrast to recommendation for breastfeeding, parents’ preference to formula and expressed breast milk due to anxiety and lack of information shows that family support should be a part of the care in the NICU.

Background: Treatment options for the closure of a hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (hsPDA) include medical therapy such as ibuprofen and indomethacin and surgical ligation. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of intravenous paracetamol in preterm infants with hsPDA whose feeding was contraindicated or had feeding intolerance. Methods: Preterm infants with hsPDA were started on intravenous paracetamol treatment with parental consent. Paracetamol was administered at a dose of 60 mg/kg/day, in four divided doses, for a period of 3 days. In the absence of closure of hsPDA, treatment was extended up to 6 days, after which echocardiographic examination was performed. Results: A total of 10 preterm infants were included in the study with a median gestational age of 27^4/7 weeks (minimum–maximum: 24–29) and a median birth weight of 775 g (590–990). The first dose of intravenous paracetamol was given after a median of 6 days (2–15). On echocardiographic examination, median internal ductal diameter was 2 mm (1.5–3), with a median left atrium-to-aortic root ratio of 1.95 (1.6–2.2). Intravenous paracetamol resulted in successful closure of hsPDA in all patients. Conclusions: This study is the first case series in the literature which used intravenous paracetamol treatment for hsPDA. We believe that intravenous paracetamol could be used as an alternative drug for infants. Further prospective randomized-controlled trials are needed to evaluate the efficacy of intravenous paracetamol for the closure of hsPDA.

Efficacy and safety of paracetamol appear to be comparable with those of ibuprofen. These results should be interpreted with caution, taking into account the non-optimal quality of the studies analysed and the limited number of neonates treated with paracetamol so far.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) primarily affects adults and spares children, whereas very little is known about neonates. We tried to define the clinical characteristics, risk factors, laboratory, and imagining results of neonates with community-acquired COVID-19. Methods: This prospective multicentered cohort study included 24 neonatal intensive care units around Turkey, wherein outpatient neonates with COVID-19 were registered in an online national database. Full-term and premature neonates diagnosed with COVID-19 were included in the study, whether hospitalized or followed up as ambulatory patients. Neonates without severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) via reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction testing or whose mothers had been diagnosed with COVID-19 during pregnancy were excluded. Results: Thirty-seven symptomatic neonates were included. The most frequent findings were fever, hypoxemia, and cough (49%, 41%, 27%, respectively). Oxygen administration (41%) and noninvasive ventilation (16%) were frequently required; however, mechanical ventilation (3%) was rarely needed. Median hospitalization was 11 days (1–35 days). One patient with Down syndrome and congenital cardiovascular disorders died in the study period. C-reactive protein (CRP) and prothrombin time (PT) levels were found to be higher in patients who needed supplemental oxygen (0.9 [0.1–8.6] vs. 5.8 [0.3–69.2] p = 0.002, 11.9 [10.1–17.2] vs. 15.2 [11.7–18.0] p = 0.01, respectively) or who were severe/critical (1.0 [0.01–8.6] vs. 4.5 [0.1–69.2] p = 0.01, 11.7 [10.1–13.9] vs. 15.0 [11.7–18.0] p = 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Symptomatic neonates with COVID-19 had high rates of respiratory support requirements. High CRP levels or a greater PT should alert the physician to more severe disease.

Introduction Haemodynamic changes occurring during the fetal -neonatal transition may impact on global myocardial function in the first week of life. Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) offers a novel technique to measure changes in systolic and diastolic function in neonates. Aims To use TDI to assess myocardial function in preterm infants compared to gold standard measures. Methods Preterm infants < 32 weeks gestation were recruited. Echocardiography was carried out by a single observer (KA) using the GE Vivid I, on Day 1, 3-4 and Day 7. Clinical parameters were recorded at time of echocardiogram. Standard M mode echocardiography was used to determine shortening and ejection fraction. Myocardial velocities were obtained using a pulsed wave doppler sample from the lateral mitral/tricuspid annuli and intraventricular septum from an apical four chamber view. Peak systolic (S'), early diastolic (E') and late diastolic (A') velocities were recorded. Results 140 echocardiograms were performed on 60 neonates with structurally normal hearts. Gestational age range-23 +6 -31

Paracetamol may be a useful treatment option for the primer treatment of PDA in preterm infants. If paracetamol is shown to be effective in a large series, because of low risk of side effects, low cost and preparation is available in enteral form, it may be an advantageous alternative at PDA treatment.