The Effect of COVID-19 Infection During Pregnancy; Evaluating Neonatal Outcomes and the Impact of the B.1.1.7. Variant

Impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant women and their babies: clinical and epidemiological features

OBJECTIVE

Assess the risk associated with COVID-19 in pregnant women on maternal and neonatal outcomes in Catalonia (Spain) in 2020, before the beginning of COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

METHOD

Cross-sectional descriptive study with all pregnant women (41,560) and their live newborns (42,097) (1st March to 31st December 2020). Women were classified: positive and negative COVID-19 diagnosis during pregnancy. The outcomes analysed were complications during pregnancy, gestational age, admission of newborns to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and birth weight. Associations among positive COVID-19 and maternal and infant variables were measured with logistic regression models. Results were expressed as odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Models were adjusted for nationality, maternal age, socioeconomic status, type of pregnancy and type of centre where the delivery occurred (public or private management hospital).

RESULTS

A total of 696 women (1.7%) were diagnosed with COVID-19 during pregnancy. Women with COVID-19 were 4.37 times more likely to have complications during pregnancy (4.37; 3.52-5.40). A total of 713 newborns (1.7%) were from mothers with COVID-19. A positive diagnosis of COVID-19 increased the risk of preterm birth (1.41; 1.03-1.89), admission to NICU (1.40; 1.06-1.82) and low birth weight (1.35; 0.99-1.80) in babies.

CONCLUSIONS

Pregnant women with COVID-19 had higher risk of developing complications during pregnancy and their newborns were more likely to be admitted to NICU and had prematurity.

Neurodevelopmental outcomes in congenital and perinatal infections

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Congenital infections are a major cause of childhood multidomain neurodevelopmental disabilities. They contribute to a range of structural brain abnormalities that can cause severe neurodevelopmental impairment, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and neurosensory impairments. New congenital infections and global viral pandemics have emerged, with some affecting the developing brain and causing neurodevelopmental concerns. This review aims to provide current understanding of fetal infections and their impact on neurodevelopment.

RECENT FINDINGS

There are a growing list of congenital infections causing neurodevelopmental issues, including cytomegalovirus, Zika virus, syphilis, rubella, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, and toxoplasmosis. Fetal exposure to maternal SARS-CoV-2 may also pose risk to the developing brain and impact neurodevelopmental outcomes, although studies have conflicting results. As Zika virus was a recently identified congenital infection, there are several new reports on child neurodevelopment in the Caribbean and Central and South America. For many congenital infections, children with in-utero exposure, even if asymptomatic at birth, may have neurodevelopmental concerns manifest over time.

SUMMARY

Congenital infections should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a child with neurodevelopmental impairments. Detailed pregnancy history, exposure risk, and testing should guide diagnosis and multidisciplinary evaluation. Children with congenital infections should have long-term follow-up to assess for neurodevelopmental delays and other neurosensory impairments. Children with confirmed delays or high-risk should be referred for rehabilitation therapies.

Evaluation of Maternal Fetal Outcomes of Pregnant Women and Mothers with Suspected Infection by SARS-CoV-2 Treated at the Municipal Hospital of São Bernardo do Campo (HMU-SBC), Brazil

OBJECTIVES

The impact of Covid-19 infection on pregnancy and perinatal outcomes is not fully known. To describe the risk factors and perinatal outcome of pregnant women with suspected COVID-19 infection.

METHODS

We evaluated medical records of women with suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection who received health care services at the University Hospital of São Bernardo do Campo from March 1 to July 31, 2020, and personal, clinical, and laboratory data of these women and their newborns.

RESULTS

Of the 219 women identified, 29% were asymptomatic. Considering the total population, 26% and 17% had obesity and hypertensive syndrome, respectively. Fever measured in the emergency room was the main reason for hospitalization. The presence or not of flu-like symptoms did not impact on perinatal outcomes. Pregnant women requiring hospitalization had newborns with lower birth weight (p < 0.01), shorter length (p = 0.02), and smaller head circumference (p = 0.03), and, in these cases, a higher number of cesarean section deliveries was observed.

CONCLUSION

COVID-19 infection did not affect the prognosis of pregnancy and newborns. However, the worst clinical outcome, requiring hospitalization, had an impact on the anthropometric measurements of newborns.

First description of congenital toxoplasmosis after maternal coinfection with Toxoplasma gondii and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2: a case report

BACKGROUND

Congenital toxoplasmosis can be associated with serious clinical consequences from fetus to adulthood. Hence, early detection is required to minimize severe sequelae through appropriate therapy. We describe the first case of a congenital toxoplasmosis after maternal coinfection with Toxoplasma gondii and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and the challenging serological diagnosis of the disease in this context.

CASE PRESENTATION

A Caucasian boy was born at 27 weeks 2 days of gestation by cesarean section due to maternal COVID-19-related respiratory failure. Postpartum serological screening of the mother revealed a previously unrecognized active Toxoplasma gondii infection. The premature child initially tested negative for anti- Toxoplasma gondii immunoglobulin A and M antibodies 1, 2 and 4 weeks after birth, whereas immunoglobulin G antibodies were only weakly positive with no evidence of child-specific production. Neither neurological nor ophthalmological abnormalities were detected. Approximately 3 months after birth, serological testing indicated a congenital toxoplasmosis by presence of immunoglobulin A and M, in combination with a child-specific immunoglobulin G synthesis. Additionally, cerebrospinal fluid was tested positive for Toxoplasma gondii DNA. Although no clinical manifestations of congenital toxoplasmosis were detected, an antiparasitic therapy was initiated to minimize the risk of late sequelae. There were no hints for a transplacental transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

CONCLUSION

This case raises the awareness of possible coinfections with the risk of transplacental transmission in cases of maternal coronavirus disease 2019. The report emphasizes the need for screening vulnerable patients for toxoplasmosis in general and especially in the context of pregnancy. It becomes evident that prematurity can complicate the serological diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis due to a delayed antibody response. Repeated testing is recommended to carefully monitor children at risk and especially those with a history of preterm birth.

Adverse Maternal Outcomes in Pregnant Women Affected by Severe-Critical COVID-19 Illness: Correlation with Vaccination Status in the Time of Different Viral Strains' Dominancy

This is a monocentric and cross-sectional study conducted at the COVID-19 Division of the Obstetrical and Gynecological Unit and Intensive Care Units (ICUs) of Policlinico di Bari, in Bari, Italy, between September 2020 and April 2022. This study aimed to identify the prevalence of severe-critical COVID-19 illness requiring access to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) among 287 pregnant patients, and possible correlations between the SARS-CoV-2 variants, the specific pandemic wave (dominated by wild, Alpha, Delta, and Omicron strains), and severe-critical adverse maternal outcomes. The prevalence of severe-critical COVID-19 illness was 2.8% (8/287), reaching 4.9% (8/163) excluding the 4th wave (Omicron dominant). The Delta variant determined the highest risk ratio and odds for access to the ICU due to severe-critical COVID-19-related symptoms compared to the other variants (wild, Alpha, Omicron). During the third wave (Delta), the ICU cases underwent a higher rate of hyperimmune plasma infusion (75%), antibiotic therapy (75%), and remdesivir (33%); all of the patients were intubated. During the Omicron wave, the patients were asymptomatic or with few symptoms: most of them (70%) were vaccinated with a median of two doses. The maternal outcome worsened in the case of Alpha and, especially, Delta variants for severe-critical COVID-19-related symptoms and ICU access.

Association of Infection with Different SARS-CoV-2 Variants during Pregnancy with Maternal and Perinatal Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The aim of this study is to review the currently available data, and to explore the association of infection with different severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants during pregnancy with maternal and perinatal outcomes in the real world. Observational cohort studies were analyzed that described the maternal and perinatal outcomes of infection with different SARS-CoV-2 variants during pregnancy. Random-effects inverse-variance models were used to evaluate the pooled prevalence (PP) and its 95% confidence interval (CI) for maternal and perinatal outcomes. Random effects were used to estimate the pooled odds ratios (OR) and their 95% CI for different outcomes between Delta and pre-Delta periods, and between Omicron and Delta periods. Eighteen studies, involving a total of 133,058 cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy (99,567 cases of SARS-CoV-2 wild type or pre-variant infection and 33,494 cases of SARS-CoV-2 variant infections), were included in this meta-analysis. Among pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 infections, the PPs for required respiratory support, severe or critical illness, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, maternal death, and preterm birth <37 weeks were, respectively, 27.24% (95%CI, 20.51−33.97%), 24.96% (95%CI, 15.96−33.96%), 11.31% (95%CI, 4.00−18.61%), 4.20% (95%CI, 1.43−6.97%), and 33.85% (95%CI, 21.54−46.17%) in the Delta period, which were higher than those in the pre-Delta period, while the corresponding PPs were, respectively, 10.74% (95%CI, 6.05−15.46%), 11.99% (95%CI, 6.23−17.74%), 4.17% (95%CI, 1.53−6.80%), 0.63% (95%CI, 0.05−1.20%), and 18.58% (95%CI, 9.52−27.65%). The PPs for required respiratory support, severe or critical illness, and ICU admission were, respectively, 2.63% (95%CI, 0.98−4.28%), 1.11% (95%CI, 0.29−1.94%), and 1.83% (95%CI, 0.85−2.81%) in the Omicron period, which were lower than those in the pre-Delta and Delta periods. These results suggest that Omicron infections are associated with less severe maternal and neonatal adverse outcomes, though maternal ICU admission, the need for respiratory support, and preterm birth did also occur with Omicron infections. Since Omicron is currently the predominant strain globally, and has the highest rates of transmission, it is still important to remain vigilant in protecting the vulnerable populations of mothers and infants. In particular, obstetricians and gynecologists should not ignore the adverse risks of maternal ICU admission, respiratory support, and preterm births in pregnant patients with SARS-CoV-2 infections, in order to protect the health of mothers and infants.

Neonatal and child mortality - are they different in developing and developed countries?

Aim is to present the neonatal and child mortality in high-(HIC) and low-income (LIC) countries and possible influence of COVID-19 pandemic. In recently published sustainable development goals (SDGs) report and other sources the data on infant and under-five mortality (U-5MR) in HIC and LIC are presented. SDG 3.2 has targeted elimination of preventable child mortality, reduction of neonatal mortality rate (NMR) to less than 12 per 1,000 live births, and reduction of U-5MR to less than 25 per 1,000 live births by 2030. Negative influence of COVID-19 pandemic on performance of SDG 3.2 has been discussed. The lowest NMR was in HIC, almost 10 times lower than in LIC and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Data on the U-5MR between HIC and LIC are even worse because the difference was between 13 and 15 times lower in HIC. More children are dying after the neonatal period in LIC. In HIC, NMR comprises 56.3% of U-5MR, while in LIC it is 40.3%, and in SSA, it is 36.8%. Births attended by skilled birth personnel in HIC was 99.0% and in LIC it was only 58.6%, which might affect early NMR. The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the delivery of perinatal health, with possible negative effects on stillbirth rates, NMR, U-5MR, maternal mortality rates, and many other indicators. The gap of the NMR and U-5MR between HIC and LIC has increasing tendency regardless of COVID-19 pandemic, affecting adversely perinatal health indicators in HIC and LIC.