First Neonates with Vertical Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Late Pregnancy in West Part of Romania: Case Series

Abstract

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exposed the vulnerable neonatal population to unknown risks. Given that herd immunity is has not been reached, the entire population is susceptible to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Virus(SARS-CoV-2) infection. The arising concern about the vertical transmission of neonatal complications caused by the novel coronavirus is a continuous challenge for managing newborns, considering the rare cases and unclear guidelines. Therefore, a retrospective study was conducted in a tertiary unit from Timisoara, Romania. Of the 283 newborns born during the study period, only 3 neonates were diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection in the first 24 h of life (DOL-0). The present study plans to identify the findings, including clinical features, laboratory characteristics, and outcomes of newborns with vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2. All infected neonates were confirmed with COVID-19 by Reverse-Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) from nasal aspirates and were isolated in the neonatology department. They were the first and the only neonate infected at birth from the West part of Romania. The clinical findings were unremarkable except for one neonate who developed mild respiratory distress syndrome. Elevated IgG-specific anti-SARS-CoV-2 serum levels were found in one newborn. Swab samples in DOL-0 strengthened the awareness of vertical transmission, although peripartum SARS-CoV-2 infection does not seem responsible for severe symptoms. We conclude that vertical transmission is rare in late pregnancy. Even if the studied newborns showed mild forms of COVID-19, it is essential to note that newborns represent a particular category of patients. More studies are needed to complete the observations of this study.