Breastfeeding Behavior Within the Covid-19 Related Obstetric and Neonatal Outcome Study (CRONOS).

BACKGROUND: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and its influence on peripartum processes worldwide led to issues in breastfeeding support. RESEARCH AIM: The aim of this study was to describe breastfeeding behavior and peripartum in-hospital management during the pandemic in Germany and Austria. METHODS: This study was a descriptive study using a combination of secondary longitudinal data and a cross-sectional online survey. Registry data from the prospective multicenter COVID-19 Related Obstetric and Neonatal Outcome Study (CRONOS) cohort study (longitudinal, medical records of 1,815 parent-neonate pairs with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy) and a cross-sectional online survey of CRONOS hospitals' physicians (N = 67) were used for a descriptive comparison of feeding outcomes and postpartum management. RESULTS: In 93.7% (n = 1700) of the cases in which information on the neonate's diet was provided, feeding was with the mother's own milk. Among neonates not receiving their mother's own milk, 24.3% (n = 26) reported SARS-CoV-2 infection as the reason. Peripartum maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection, severe maternal COVID-19 including the need for intensive care unit (ICU) treatment or invasive ventilation, preterm birth, mandatory delivery due to COVID-19, and neonatal ICU admission were associated with lower rates of breastfeeding. Rooming-in positively influenced breastfeeding without affecting neonatal SARS-CoV-2 frequency (4.2% vs. 5.6%). CRONOS hospitals reported that feeding an infant their mother's own milk continued to be supported during the pandemic. In cases of severe COVID-19, four of five hospitals encouraged breastfeeding. CONCLUSION: Maintaining rooming-in and breastfeeding support services in the CRONOS hospitals during the pandemic resulted in high breastfeeding rates.

Obesity during Pregnancy and SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19-Case Series of the Registry Study "COVID-19 Related Obstetric and Neonatal Outcome Study" (CRONOS-Network).

(1) Background: Obesity is an increasing challenge in the care of pregnant women. The aim of our study was to investigate whether obesity is an independent risk factor for severe maternal and neonatal outcomes in pregnant women with COVID-19. (2) Methods: Data from the COVID-19 Related Obstetric and Neonatal Outcome Study (CRONOS), a prospective multicenter registry for SARS-CoV-2 positive pregnant women, was used to analyze the effect of obesity on selected individual and combined outcome parameters (3) Results: With 20.1%, the prevalence of obesity in the CRONOS registry exceeds the German background rate of 17.5%. Obese women showed significantly higher rates of GDM (20.4% vs. 7.6%; p < 0.001), hypertensive pregnancy disorders (6.2% vs. 2%; p = 0.004) and C-sections (50% vs. 34.5%; p < 0.001). BMI was revealed to be an individual risk factor for the severe combined pregnancy outcome (maternal death, stillbirth or preterm birth < 32 weeks) (OR 1.050, CI 1.005-1.097). (4) Conclusions: Maternal BMI is a predictor for the most severe outcome as maternal or neonatal death and preterm delivery <32 weeks of gestation. Unexpectedly, categorized obesity seems to have limited independent influence on the course and outcome of pregnancies with COVID infections.