PDF icon Download PDF
Am J Perinatol 2023; 40(05): 567-574
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1753522
Original Article

Evaluation of Newborns Diagnosed with COVID-19: A Single-Center Experience

Seda Aydoğan 
1   Department of Neonatology, University of Health Sciences, Dr Sami Ulus Maternity and Children Research and Training Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
,
Aysegul Zenciroglu
1   Department of Neonatology, University of Health Sciences, Dr Sami Ulus Maternity and Children Research and Training Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
,
Rumeysa Çitli
1   Department of Neonatology, University of Health Sciences, Dr Sami Ulus Maternity and Children Research and Training Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
,
Dilek Dilli 
1   Department of Neonatology, University of Health Sciences, Dr Sami Ulus Maternity and Children Research and Training Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
,
Suna Özdem
2   Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, University of Health Sciences, Dr Sami Ulus Maternity and Children Research and Training Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
› Author Affiliations
Funding None.
› Further Information
Also available ateRefHebammen
   Permissions and Reprints
Preview

Abstract

Objective The causative agent of the severe acute respiratory syndrome is a new type of coronavirus infection called coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) which has spread around the world. COVID-19 is thought to rarely affect infants, so pandemic planning focuses on adults. This study aimed to share our 1-year experience with COVID-19-positive newborns in a tertiary neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Study Design Hospitalized newborns after a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for COVID-19 were evaluated in this retrospective, cohort study between March 2020 and March 2021. The clinical course, laboratory tests, imaging studies, and outcomes of affected newborns were collected from medical records.

Results Eleven COVID-19-diagnosed newborns were analyzed in our study. Four (36.6%) patients had contact with a COVID-19-positive individual in their families. The main symptoms were fever (81.8%), hypoxemia (63.6%), and tachypnea (63.6%). Bacterial coinfection was identified in two newborns. Aortic coarctation was detected as an accompanied disease by a newborn who was referred to our hospital with a suspicion of congenital heart disease and two patients had a bacterial coinfection. We did not detect any cases of neonatal multisystem inflammatory syndrome. All patients were discharged in good health. None of the newborns had any complications and repeated infection with another variant during the first-year follow-up.

Conclusion Contrary to popular belief, newborns are a sensitive age group for COVID-19 and need a high rate of hospitalization. Congenital heart diseases and coinfections should not be overlooked in COVID-19-infected newborns. The acquired immunity due to COVID-19 infection protects newborns from recurrent COVID-19 infections in their first year of life. The absence of COVID-19-positive individual in the family in most cases suggests that PCR-negative adults may also play a role in the transmission of the disease.

Key Points

  • COVID-19 is still a pandemic all over the world.

  • COVID-19 is dangerous for newborns.

  • PCR-negative adults may also play a role in the transmission of the disease to the newborn.

Keywords

COVID-19 - newborn - outcomes - symptoms


Publication History

Received: 04 December 2021

Accepted: 24 April 2022

Article published online:
05 July 2022

© 2022. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.
333 Seventh Avenue, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10001, USA