TITLE:
Clinical Outcomes of Positive Newborns for COVID-19 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
AUTHORS:
Karina Martins-Cardoso, Luana Ferreira Martins de Toledo, Juliana Aparecida Souza Paz, Andressa Rangel de Oliveira Lima, Thaís Chrispim de Souza Giangiarulo, Jéssica da Silva Oliveira, IPB COVID Workgroup, Carla Carolina Teixeira, Jones Zitenfeld Cardia Neto, Giovanna Geórgia Pires Carrilho Vallim, Shana Priscila Coutinho Barroso
KEYWORDS:
SARS-CoV-2 Infection, Neonatal Outcomes, Vertical Transmission
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Vol.11 No.12,
December
30,
2021
ABSTRACT: The disease caused by the
SARS-CoV-2 virus has spread very rapidly throughout the world, causing various clinical
manifestations and affecting several organs and systems. However, the
possibility of vertical transmission of COVID-19 in symptomatic pregnant
women has been questioned. The aim of this work was to report cases of possible
vertical transmission in pregnant women affected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, as
well as its clinical repercussions on the newborn. In this paper, we conducted
a cross-sectional retrospective study by analyzing medical records of pregnant
women admitted at the military hospital, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, diagnosed with COVID-19 and who had positive
newborns. To evaluate epidemiological data, clinical manifestations, laboratorial and histopathological changes were related to such vertical transmission. Only
six tested newborns were positive for COVID-19. The
mothers had no respiratory symptoms, and the gestational age was at term,
except for one newborn born prematurely due to detection of pericadial
effusion. Three neonates had respiratory symptoms, requiring ventilatory
support. None of the mothers or newborns died. During the pandemic, possible
vertical transmission cases of infected pregnant women in the third trimester
of pregnancy were observed. According to the case reports published in the
literature, they illustrate phenotypes of neonatal involvement with varied
clinical manifestations and severity; however, further scientific studies are
needed to prove the effective vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in positive pregnant women.