Safe Perinatal Management of Neonates Born to SARS-CoV-2 Positive Mothers at the Epicenter of the Italian Epidemic

Abstract

Introduction: 2019-novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic has recently struck Northern Italy. Limited data are available about COVID-19 during pregnancy and infancy, mostly from China. Herein, our experience on a safe perinatal management of neonates born to COVID-19 mothers is reported. Method: Since late February through May 15, 2020, 375 pregnant women delivered at our City Hospital in Piacenza, at the epicenter of the Italian epidemic. Of these, 144 were tested via a SARS-CoV-2 quantitative rRT-PCR nasopharyngeal swab prior to delivery, firstly on the basis of epidemiological and clinical criteria, then adopting a universal screening approach. All newborns from SARS-CoV-2 positive mothers were tested via nasopharyngeal swab at birth, on day 3 and/or day 7. In case of positive result, they were re-tested on day 14. Results: Fifteen women tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection. All newborns except one were born at term. All of them were non-infected at birth, irrespective of mode of delivery; 13 out 15 remained negative; the two positive neonates became negative by day 14 of life. All of them have always remained asymptomatic. All newborns except two were allowed to have immediate bonding, permanent rooming-in, and direct breastfeeding. Conclusions: Our study supports the claim that COVID-19 in pregnancy is not associated with worse clinical outcomes compared to non-COVID-19 pregnant women and/or with higher rates of preterm birth and intrauterine growth restriction. Intrauterine vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2 seems to be unlikely. Breastfeeding appears to be safe and protective for the neonate, once appropriate preventive measures are adopted.

Keywords: COVID-19 epidemic; SARS—CoV-2; breastfeeding (BF); perinatal management; pregnancy; vertical infection transmission.