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Background There are conflicting data on the mother-to-child transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and few studies have described the clinical course of neonates infected with SARS-CoV-2. Objectives This study investigates the mother-to-child transmission rate and clinical profile of SARS-CoV-2-infected newborns. Methods Data on 304 newborns of 301 mothers with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were prospectively collected and analyzed. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) determined the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the placenta, umbilical cord stump, and nasopharyngeal swabs collected within 24h of birth. Clinical and laboratory data of SARS-CoV-2-infected newborns was entered in a structured proforma. Results A total of 20 neonates (6.5%) were positive for SARS-CoV-2, of which 12 were positive only in the nasopharyngeal swab, four cases had the umbilical stump positive, three were positive in the placenta, and one case was positive in all the three specimens collected. Six of the 20 SARS-CoV-2-positive neonates developed severe symptoms. The SARS-CoV-2-positive symptomatic neonates required a more extended stay in hospital compared to their non-symptomatic infected counterparts. Conclusions A proportion of the babies born to SARS-CoV2-infected mothers tested positive and some of these newborns had severe symptoms.
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BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is uncommon and less severe in children than adults. It is thought that infants may be at higher risk for severe disease than older children. There is a paucity of literature on infants with COVID, particularly those with severe disease. OBJECTIVE: We describe demographic, epidemiologic, clinical, radiological, laboratory features and outcomes of infants with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection admitted to a tertiary care teaching hospital in Pune, India. METHODOLOGY: Infants who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and were admitted between 1 April 2020 and 7 August 2020 were included in the study. RESULTS: A total of 13 infants were admitted during the study period. The median age was 8 months (IQR 6) and nine were male. Common presenting features were fever (n = 8, 62%), poor feeding, irritability, and runny nose (n = 3, 23%). Comorbidities noted were severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in three cases (23%) and nutritional megaloblastic anemia, iron deficiency anemia, sickle thalassemia and renal calculi in one case (8%) each. There was a history of low birth weight in two cases (15%). Pallor was noted in three cases (23%), SAM in three cases (23%) and tachypnea and respiratory distress in four cases (30%). Severe anemia, thrombocytopenia, elevated ferritin, abnormal procalcitonin, abnormal C Reactive Protein and deranged D-dimer was noted in three cases (23%) each. Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio was normal in all cases. Three infants (43%) had evidence of pneumonia on the chest radiograph, of which one had adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) like pattern, one infant had cardiomegaly and perihilar infiltrates. Hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin were given to five patients (38%), Intravenous Immunoglobulin and methylprednisolone were administered to one patient (8%). One infant died of ARDS with multi-organ dysfunction with refractory shock and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. CONCLUSION: SAM and anemia may be associated with severe COVID in infants.
