Possible vertical transmission and antibodies against SARS‐CoV‐2 among infants born to mothers with COVID‐19: A living systematic review

Bwire, George M.; Njiro, Belinda J.; Mwakawanga, Dorkasi L.; Sabas, Deodatus; Sunguya, Bruno F.

doi:10.1002/jmv.26622

Cited by 78 publications

(70 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…A more recent systematic review (n = 205 infants of COVID-positive mothers) found that while vertical transmission of COVID-19 is unlikely, antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 were found in 10/11 (90%) infants who were tested. 28 As pregnant women are more susceptible than the general population to respiratory pathogens including COVID-19, maternal infection and inflammation in response to the virus could affect the developing fetus and even postnatal life. With the continuing pandemic of COVID-19, there is general consensus further studies are warranted to investigate pregnant women with COVID-19, follow-up the pregnancy outcomes, and monitor postnatal development of the fetus.…”

Section: Maternal-fetal and Perinatal Transmissionmentioning

confidence: 99%

COVID‐19 in childhood: Transmission, clinical presentation, complications and risk factors

Siebach

Piedimonte

Ley

2021

Pediatric Pulmonology

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Children less than 18 years of age account for an estimated 2%-5% of reported severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) cases globally. Lower prevalence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among children, in addition to higher numbers of mild and asymptomatic cases, continues to provide challenges in determining appropriate prevention and treatment courses. Here, we summarize the current evidence on the transmission, clinical presentation, complications and risk factors in regard to SARS-CoV-2 in children, and highlight crucial gaps in knowledge going forward. Based on current evidence, children are rarely the primary source of secondary transmission in the household or in child care and school settings and are more likely to contract the virus from an adult household member. Higher transmission rates are observed in older children (10-19 years old) compared with younger children ( <10 years old). While increasing incidence of COVID-19 in neonates raises the suspicion of vertical transmission, it is unlikely that breast milk is a vehicle for transmission from mother to infant. The vast majority of clinical cases of COVID-19 in children are mild, but there are rare cases that have developed complications such as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, which often presents with severe cardiac symptoms requiring intensive care. Childhood obesity is associated with a higher risk of infection and a more severe clinical presentation. Although immediate mortality rates among children are low, long-term respiratory, and developmental implications of the disease remain unknown in this young and vulnerable population.epidemiology, pulmonology (general), social dimensions of pulmonary medicine | INTRODUCTIONChildren less than 18 years of age account for an estimated 1.7% of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) clinical infections in the United States, 1 with global estimates ranging from 2.0 2 to 4.8%. 3 The low prevalence of pediatric cases has made it difficult to draw conclusive statements about many aspects of the virus in this population, but the reported case numbers are likely an underestimation of the true pediatric case load, as many cases in children are mild or asymptomatic. 4 Initial observations report that

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Section: Maternal-fetal and Perinatal Transmissionmentioning

confidence: 99%

COVID‐19 in childhood: Transmission, clinical presentation, complications and risk factors

Siebach

Piedimonte

Ley

2021

Pediatric Pulmonology

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“…Several meta-analyses of case reports with small cohort sizes have been performed in order to gain clarity on the overall incidence of SARS-CoV-2 vertical transmission, estimating rates ranging from 3 to 8% [ 19 , 61 , 62 ]. However, the criteria for vertical transmission in theses analyses were not as strict as proposed in Shah et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comprehensive analysis of COVID-19 during pregnancy

Moore

Suthar

2021

Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications

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The COVID-19 pandemic resulting from the emergence of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 remains a major global health concern. Pregnant individuals are more likely to develop severe COVID-19 and a number of pregnancy complications have been observed in COVID-19 patients. To date, little is known about the impact of COVID-19 on pregnancy. In this review, we examine key aspects of pregnancy that may be impacted by COVID-19 and summarize the current literature on SARS-CoV-2 infection of the placenta and in utero vertical transmission. Furthermore, we highlight recent studies exploring the role of the maternal antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy and the passive transfer of maternal antibodies from mothers with COVID-19 to fetus.

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“…Some of these negative practices are: 1) women being forced to go through labor and birth without the presence of a partner or support person (34,35), 2) some NICUs not allowing any parental presence at the bedside while others are limiting either the amount of time that the parents can visit or allowing only one parent to be present at a time (36), 3) some hospitals continue to separate mothers who are COVID-19 positive or a Person Under Investigation (PUI) from their infants despite WHO recommendations to avoid this practice (37), 4) discouragement of skin to skin contact and direct breastfeeding (38), 5) early discharge following birth, as early 24 h post-birth for vaginal births and 48 h post-cesarean birth (39, 40), 6) a lack of access to in person pediatric follow-up and hands-on technical breastfeeding assistance (2). Indeed, during the initial phase of the pandemic in Italy, there was concern that breastfeeding had actually been implicated as a "culprit or scapegoat, " despite available evidence suggesting that 1) few pregnant women have been severely affected by COVID-19, 2) evidence for transplacental transmission of the virus very rarely shows a clinical impact, and 3) infected neonates are generally asymptomatic, or have few symptoms, with similar infection rates with vaginal delivery or Cesarean section (41,42).…”

Section: Impact Of the Covid-19 Pandemic On Breastfeeding Mothersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Given the extensively documented benefits of human milk and breastfeeding for mothers, infants, the society, and the environment (3,54), as well as the low likelihood of infants becoming ill from COVID-19 (41,42), this is an opportunity for health care professionals to undertake a call to action to protect human milk and breastfeeding. Since no live virus has been detected in human milk whereas specific antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 have (18,23,24), a claim that cannot be attributed to infant formula, health care providers should use the current pandemic to underscore the importance of human milk and breastfeeding as a health promoting and possibly lifesaving medical intervention (55).…”

Section: Call To Action To Protect Human Milk and Breastfeedingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Promoting and Protecting Human Milk and Breastfeeding in a COVID-19 World

Spatz

Davanzo

Müller³

et al. 2021

Front. Pediatr.

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The global COVID-19 pandemic has put enormous stress on healthcare systems and hospital staffing. However, through all this, families will continue to become pregnant, give birth, and breastfeed. Unfortunately, care of the childbearing family has been de-prioritized during the pandemic. Additionally, many healthcare practices during the pandemic have not been positive for the childbearing family or breastfeeding. Despite recommendations from the World Health Organization to promote early, direct breastfeeding and skin to skin contact, these and other recommendations are not being followed in the clinical setting. For example, some mothers have been forced to go through labor and birth alone in some institutions whilst some hospitals have limited or no parental visitation to infants in the NICU. Furthermore, hospitals are discharging mothers and their newborns early, limiting the amount of time that families receive expert lactation care, education, and technical assistance. In addition, some hospitals have furloughed staff or transferred them to COVID-19 wards, further negatively impacting direct care for families and their newborns. We are concerned that these massive changes in the care of childbearing families will be permanently adopted. Instead, we must use the pandemic to underscore the importance of human milk and breastfeeding as lifesaving medical interventions. We challenge healthcare professionals to change the current prenatal and post-birth practice paradigms to protect lactation physiology and to ensure that all families in need receive equal access to evidence-based lactation education, care and technical assistance.

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Possible vertical transmission and antibodies against SARS‐CoV‐2 among infants born to mothers with COVID‐19: A living systematic review

Cited by 78 publications

References 58 publications

COVID‐19 in childhood: Transmission, clinical presentation, complications and risk factors

COVID‐19 in childhood: Transmission, clinical presentation, complications and risk factors

Comprehensive analysis of COVID-19 during pregnancy

Promoting and Protecting Human Milk and Breastfeeding in a COVID-19 World

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