Abstract
Objective The epidemiological and clinical characteristics of neonates born to women infected
with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during pregnancy were assessed, and the correlation
between this infection and spontaneous pneumothorax in neonates born to mothers with
COVID-19 was evaluated in the present study.
Methods Records of 14 neonates in the neonatal intensive care unit with pneumothorax were
collected and analyzed. Pregnant women were routinely screened for COVID-19 before
birth. This study only included the neonates of mothers positive for severe acute
respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 immunoglobulin Mand immunoglobulin G and developing
spontaneous pneumothorax. Antenatal, natal and postnatal risk factors, data related
to demographic, epidemiological and clinical characteristics, treatment strategies,
and breastfeeding history were obtained from medical records.
Results The gestational age of the 14 neonates was 30 to 38 weeks. One male infant was born
by normal spontaneous vaginal delivery, while all other infants were born by C-section.
Though the mothers did not have a diagnosis of COVID-19 in their charts, they all
reported one or more symptoms when interviewed. No mother had received a COVID-19
vaccination before or during pregnancy. No mother had undergone a hospital visit or
doctor examination due to suspicion of COVID and COVID polymerase chain reaction test.
COVID antibody titers were present during admission to hospital before birth.
Conclusion The infants of pregnant cases with symptomatic or asymptomatic COVID-19 may develop
respiratory distress and pneumothorax. Observational data obtained from case series
similar to what is presented here may be accepted as a potential first step to producing
hypotheses to test with preclinical or clinical models if it can be expanded in larger
cohorts.
Keywords
pneumothorax - newborn - COVID-19 - pregnancy - surfactant
