Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Meta-Analysis
. 2020 Aug;37(10):1055-1060.
doi: 10.1055/s-0040-1712161. Epub 2020 May 13.

Vertical Transmission of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2: A Systematic Review

Ziyi Yang  1   2 , Yi Liu  2
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Vertical Transmission of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2: A Systematic Review

Ziyi Yang et al. Am J Perinatol. 2020 Aug.

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study is to summarize currently available evidence on vertical transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

Study design: A systematic review was conducted following the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis Statement.

Results: A total of 22 studies comprising 83 neonates born to mothers diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 were included in the present systematic review. Among these neonates, three were confirmed with SARS-CoV-2 infection at 16, 36, and 72 hours after birth, respectively, by nasopharyngeal swab real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests; another six had elevated virus-specific antibody levels in serum samples collected after birth, but negative RT-PCR test results. However, without positive RT-PCR tests of amniotic fluid, placenta, or cord blood, there is a lack of virologic evidence for intrauterine vertical transmission.

Conclusion: There is currently no direct evidence to support intrauterine vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Additional RT-PCR tests on amniotic fluid, placenta, and cord blood are needed to ascertain the possibility of intrauterine vertical transmission. For pregnant women infected during their first and second trimesters, further studies focusing on long-term outcomes are needed.

Key points: · We review neonates of mothers diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 detected by RT-PCR.. · No direct virologic evidence of vertical transmission has been reported.. · No evidence that cesarean delivery is safer than vaginal delivery.. · More RT-PCR tests on amniotic fluid, placenta, and cord blood are recommended..

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

None declared.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow diagram of study selection process.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Timelines illustrating the evolution of laboratory tests from the three cases with neonatal infection confirmed by real-time polymerase chain reaction.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Zhu N, Zhang D, Wang W et al.A novel coronavirus from patients with pneumonia in China, 2019. N Engl J Med. 2020;382(08):727–733. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Huang C, Wang Y, Li Xet al.Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China Lancet 2020395(10223):497–506. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Lv M, Luo X, Estill J et al.Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): a scoping review. Euro Surveill. 2020;25(15):25. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Chen H, Guo J, Wang Cet al.Clinical characteristics and intrauterine vertical transmission potential of COVID-19 infection in nine pregnant women: a retrospective review of medical records Lancet 2020395(10226):809–815. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Alzamora M C, Paredes T, Caceres D, Webb C M, Valdez L M, La Rosa M. Severe COVID-19 during pregnancy and possible vertical transmission. Am J Perinatol. 2020;37(08):861–865. - PMC - PubMed

MeSH terms