COVID-19 Infection in Pregnancy: PCR Cycle Thresholds, Placental Pathology, and Perinatal Outcomes.

(1) This study aimed to evaluate characteristics, perinatal outcomes, and placental pathology of pregnant women with or without SARS-CoV-2 infection in the context of maternal PCR cycle threshold (CT) values. (2) This was a retrospective case-control study in a third-level health center in Mexico City with universal screening by RT-qPCR. The association of COVID-19 manifestations, preeclampsia, and preterm birth with maternal variables and CT values were assessed by logistic regression models and decision trees. (3) Accordingly, 828 and 298 women had a negative and positive test, respectively. Of those positive, only 2.6% of them presented mild to moderate symptoms. Clinical characteristics between both groups of women were similar. No associations between CT values were found for maternal features, such as pre-gestational BMI, age, and symptomatology. A significantly higher percentage of placental fibrinoid was seen with women with low CTs (<25; p < 0.01). Regarding perinatal outcomes, preeclampsia was found to be significantly associated with symptomatology but not with risk factors or CT values (p < 0.01, aOR = 14.72). Moreover, 88.9% of women diagnosed with COVID-19 at <35 gestational weeks and symptomatic developed preeclampsia. (4) The data support strong guidance for pregnancies with SARS-CoV-2 infection, in particular preeclampsia and placental pathology, which need further investigation.

Prevalence, clinical features, and outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant women with or without mild/moderate symptoms: Results from universal screening in a tertiary care center in Mexico City, Mexico.

The perinatal consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection are still largely unknown. This study aimed to describe the features and outcomes of pregnant women with or without SARS-CoV-2 infection after the universal screening was established in a large tertiary care center admitting only obstetric related conditions without severe COVID-19 in Mexico City. This retrospective case-control study integrates data between April 22 and May 25, 2020, during active community transmission in Mexico, with one of the highest COVID-19 test positivity percentages worldwide. Only pregnant women and neonates with a SARS-CoV-2 result by quantitative RT-PCR were included in this study. Among 240 pregnant women, the prevalence of COVID-19 was 29% (95% CI, 24% to 35%); 86% of the patients were asymptomatic (95% CI, 76%-92%), nine women presented mild symptoms, and one patient moderate disease. No pregnancy baseline features or risk factors associated with severity of infection, including maternal age > 35 years, Body Mass Index >30 kg/m2, and pre-existing diseases, differed between positive and negative women. The median gestational age at admission for both groups was 38 weeks. All women were discharged at home without complications, and no maternal death was reported. The proportion of preeclampsia was higher in positive women than negative women (18%, 95% CI, 10%-29% vs. 9%, 95% CI, 5%-14%, P<0.05). No differences were found for other perinatal outcomes. SARS-CoV-2 test result was positive for nine infants of positive mothers detected within 24h of birth. An increased number of infected neonates were admitted to the NICU, compared to negative neonates (44% vs. 22%, P<0.05) and had a longer length of hospitalization (2 [2-18] days vs. 2 [2-3] days, P<0.001); these are potential proxies for illness severity. This report highlights the importance of COVID-19 detection at delivery in pregnant women living in high transmission areas.

Riesgo de sepsis neonatal temprana en recién nacidos de madre con corioamnionitis: Estudio de casos y controles / Early-onset neonatal sepsis in newborns to mother with chorioamnionitis: Case-controls study

Introducción: La corioamnionitis es común durante el embarazo y se asocia con diversas complicaciones perinatales; entre los problemas neonatales más frecuentes están: parto pretérmino, sepsis neonatal, enfermedad pulmonar crónica, lesión cerebral secundaria a infección y trastornos del desarrollo neurológico. Es necesario conocer el riesgo de sepsis neonatal temprana en recién nacidos hijos de madres con corioamnionitis, con la intención de plantear estrategias para su prevención y tratamiento. Objetivos: Determinar el grado de asociación entre la corioamnionitis materna y la aparición de sepsis neonatal temprana. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio de casos y controles donde se incluyeron 148 pacientes divididos en dos grupos: grupo I, los casos, hijos de madres con corioamnionitis (n = 74), y grupo II, control, neonatos sin antecedente de corioamnionitis materna (n = 74). Resultados: El grupo de madres con corioamnionitis tuvo menor control prenatal y sus recién nacidos, a pesar de haber recibido antibiótico profiláctico, tuvieron una mayor frecuencia de sepsis y problemas respiratorios. Conclusiones: Los hijos de madres con corioamnionitis tienen un incremento en el riesgo de presentar sepsis neonatal temprana.

Introduction: Chorioamnionitis is common during pregnancy and associated with several perinatal complications, including postpartum infection and sepsis. Among the most frequent neonatal complications associated to chorioamnionitis are: preterm delivery, neonatal sepsis, chronic lung disease, brain injury secondary to infection, and other neurodevelopmental disorders. It is necessary to know what the risk is of early-onset neonatal sepsis in newborns to mothers with chorioamnionitis. Objective: Determine whether maternal chorioamnionitis has an association with early-onset neonatal sepsis. Methods: We performed a case-control study, in which we included 148 patients divided in two groups: group I, cases (n = 74) and group II, controls (n = 74). The sample size was calculated through difference of proportions. Results: The group of mothers with chorioamnionitis had less prenatal care, and their newborns had a larger number of infections and respiratory problems despite the indication of prophylactic antibiotic schemes. Conclusions: Newborn infants to mother with chorioamnionitis have an increased risk of early neonatal sepsis, despite the use of prophylactic antibiotics.