Management of infants born to mothers with suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in the delivery room: A tentative proposal 2020.

ABSTRACT

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread worldwide within a short period, and there is still no sign of an end to the pandemic. Management of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-infected pregnant women at the time of delivery presents a unique challenge. To fulfill the goal of providing adequate management of such women and their infants, and to decrease the risk of exposure of the healthcare providers, tentative guidelines are needed until more evidence is collected. Practical preventative action is required that takes into account the following infection routes (i) aerosol transmission from mothers to healthcare providers, (ii) horizontal transmission to healthcare providers from infants infected by their mothers, and (iii) horizontal transmission from mothers to infants. To develop standard operating procedures, briefings/training simulations should be carried out, taking into account the latest information. Briefings should be carefully conducted to clarify the role and procedures. Healthcare providers should wear personal protective equipment. If it is physically possible, neonatal resuscitation should be performed in a separate area next to the delivery room. If a separate area is not available, the infant warmer should be placed at least 2 m away from the delivery table, or partitioned off in the same room. A minimum number of skilled personnel should participate in resuscitation using the latest neonatal resuscitation algorithms.