Clinical Analysis of Neonates Born to Mothers with or without COVID-19: A Retrospective Analysis of 48 Cases from Two Neonatal Intensive Care Units in Hubei Province

Objective The perinatal consequences of neonates born to severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infected mothers are uncertain. This study aimed to compare the differences in clinical manifestation, laboratory results, and outcomes of neonates born to mothers with or without coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Study Design A total of 48 neonates were admitted to Tongji Hospital and HuangShi Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital from January 17 to March 4, 2020. The neonates were divided into three groups according to the mothers' conditions: neonates born to mothers with confirmed COVID-19, neonates born to mothers with clinically diagnosed COVID-19, and neonates born to mothers without COVID-19. The clinical data of mothers and infants in the three groups were collected, compared, and analyzed. Results The deliveries occurred in a negative pressure isolation room, and the neonates were separated from their mothers immediately after birth for further observation and treatment. None of the neonates showed any signs of fever, cough, dyspnea, or diarrhea. SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction of the throat swab and feces samples from the neonates in all three groups was negative. No differences were detected in the whole blood cell, lymphocytes, platelet, and liver and renal function among the three groups. All mothers and their infants showed satisfactory outcomes, including a 28-week preterm infant. Conclusion The clinical manifestations, radiological, and biochemical results did not show any difference between the three groups. No evidence of vertical transmission was found in this study whether the pregnant women developed coronavirus infection in the third (14 cases) or second trimester (1 case). Key points: Characteristics of neonates born to mothers with and without COVID-19 have been compared. All the 48 cases presented in the study had good outcomes. A 28-week preterm born to COVID-19 mother presented to be clear of SARS-COV-2 infection.