Clinical Profiles of Neonates Born to COVID-19 Positive Mothers in a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Nepal is one of the countries which has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and has resulted in high morbidity and mortality across all age groups including neonates. There has been a paucity of studies regarding maternal to neonatal COVID-19 transmission and the published studies also have a poor sample size to reach any definite conclusion. Hence this study was carried out to see the clinical profiles of neonates born to COVID-19 mothers. Methods: It was a descriptive cross-sectional study. The study was conducted at a tertiary care centre over the period of one year from April 2020 to March 2021 after taking ethical clearance from the Institutional Review Committee with reference number drs2105211526. Convenient sampling was done. All neonates born to COVID-19 positive mothers who were diagnosed by a real-time polymerase chain reaction of the nasopharyngeal swab during the time of delivery were included in the study. Data analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences 20 using appropriate tools. Results: A total of 105 babies born to COVID-19 positive mothers who were tested for COVID-19 infection were included in the study. Ten (9.5%) (3.89-15.10 at 95% Confidence Interval) of neonates born to COVID-19 positive mothers were positive for the COVID-19 virus. All the neonates born to COVID-19 positive mothers were discharged home except one case who had other comorbidities. Fever was present in four (40%) of COVID-19 positive neonates. Conclusions: There is a possibility of vertical transmission of coronavirus in neonates although the outcome is favourable.

Mother to Newborn Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Evolution of Evidence in 1.5 Years of COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Preterm delivery in pregnant women with COVID-19 is reported to be between 15 and 35% in individual studies from several countries. [79][80][81][82][83] In the CDC ' s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, among 3,912 infants with known gestational age born to women with SARS-CoV-2 infection, prematurity rate was estimated at 12.9%, higher than the national estimate of 10.2%. 66 Perinatal infection to newborns with confirmed test results for SARS-CoV-2 was infrequently observed at 2.6% and occurred primarily among infants whose mothers were tested positive closer to delivery.…”