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Mohor CI, Oprinca GC, Oprinca-Muja A, Fleacă SR, Boicean A, Boeraș I, Roman MD, Mohor CI. Vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from mother to fetus. Pathology 2024; 56:107-110. [PMID: 37739925 DOI: 10.1016/j.pathol.2023.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Cosmin I Mohor
- Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Faculty of Medicine, Sibiu, Romania
| | - George C Oprinca
- Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Faculty of Medicine, Sibiu, Romania.
| | | | - Sorin R Fleacă
- Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Faculty of Medicine, Sibiu, Romania
| | - Adrian Boicean
- Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Faculty of Medicine, Sibiu, Romania
| | - Ioana Boeraș
- Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Faculty of Medicine, Sibiu, Romania
| | - Mihai D Roman
- Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Faculty of Medicine, Sibiu, Romania
| | - Călin I Mohor
- Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Faculty of Medicine, Sibiu, Romania
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Zou D, Chen C. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of new mothers in China: A qualitative study of mothers with infants aged 0–1 year old. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1138349. [PMID: 37050962 PMCID: PMC10083314 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1138349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundChina has implemented a strict epidemic control policy (ECP) for 3 years during the COVID-19 pandemic. New mothers are under great psychological pressure to protect themselves against the virus, following the ECP, as well as taking on the main responsibility of raising their children. However, the mental health of this group has been neglected by the public. This article aims to understand the mental health of new mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodQualitative research methods were adopted in this study. From 1 October to 1 November 2022, we conducted in-depth interviews with 36 new mothers in Guiyang, Guizhou, China, and used thematic analysis to examine their emotional status, as well as the origins of their negative and positive emotions.Results(1) New mothers are chronically depressed, feeling anxious, and upset. (2) Negative emotions are caused either by the virus or by the ECP. (3) New mothers are mainly anxious about their children's physical health, feeding options, childcare, and family income. (4) Positive emotions are reflected by tight parent–child bonds, a better understanding of childcare, and an increased ability to perceive risks.ConclusionThe anxiety of new mothers has revealed the shortcomings of the Chinese health system in the emergency management of the mother and child. At the same time, the outbreak is an opportunity to improve the response management capacity of the health system in order to prevent the recurrence of similar problems for mothers and infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Zou
- School of Marxism, Xi'an University of Technology, Xi'an, China
| | - Chen Chen
- College of Literature and Journalism, Qiannan University of Science and Technology, Qiannan, China
- *Correspondence: Chen Chen
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Characterization of T Helper 1 and 2 Cytokine Profiles in Newborns of Mothers with COVID-19. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11030910. [PMID: 36979888 PMCID: PMC10045352 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11030910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
An infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 greatly affects the pediatric population and is 3 times more prevalent in newborns than in the general population. In newborns, the overexpression of immunological molecules may also induce a so-called cytokine storm. In our study, we evaluated the expression of cytokines in newborns admitted to a neonatal ICU whose mothers had SARS-CoV-2 and symptoms of SARS. The blood of newborns of infected and healthy mothers was collected to identify their Th1 and Th2 cytokine profiles, and via flow cytometry, the cytokines TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-6, and IL-10 were identified. Overexpression was observed in the Th1 and Th2 cytokine profiles of newborns from infected mothers compared with the control group. Statistical analysis also revealed significant differences between the cellular and humoral responses of the infected group versus the control group. The cellular versus humoral responses of the newborns of infected mothers were also compared, which revealed the prevalence of the cellular immune response. These data demonstrate that some cytokines identified relate to more severe symptoms and even some comorbidities. IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-10 may especially be related to cytokine storms in neonates of mothers with COVID-19.
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Brogna C, Brogna B, De Biase M, Sini F, Mirra F, Moro M, Romeo DM. Perinatal Cerebral Ischemic Lesion and SARS-CoV-2 Infection during Pregnancy: A Case Report and a Review of the Literature. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11226827. [PMID: 36431302 PMCID: PMC9693289 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11226827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Perinatal stroke is related to possible differences in predisposing factors and outcomes between acutely and retrospectively diagnosed cases. In most cases, there are different risk factors and infections that could play an important role. Thus far, different clinical manifestations have been reported in children presenting with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), ranging from asymptomatic status to severe disease sustained by an immune-mediated inflammatory response. SARS-CoV-2 has been associated with severe neurological diseases including seizures and encephalitis in both adults and children. However, there are still few reports regarding the possible relation between SARS-CoV-2 infection of mothers during pregnancy and the neurologic outcome of the newborns. We described the case of a newborn diagnosed with a perinatal stroke, born at 35 weeks of gestation from a mother presenting with SARS- CoV-2 infection during the last months of pregnancy. We also added a brief review of the literature with similar cases. Close monitoring and early intervention in young children born to infected mothers would be highly recommended for the potential neurodevelopmental risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Brogna
- Pediatric Neurology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “A. Gemelli”, IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Barbara Brogna
- Department of Radiology, “San Giuseppe Moscati” Hospital, Contrada Amoretta, 83100 Avellino, Italy
| | - Margherita De Biase
- Pediatric Neurology Unit, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Sini
- Pediatric Neurology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “A. Gemelli”, IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Mirra
- Pediatric Neurology Unit, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Marianna Moro
- Pediatric Neurology Unit, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Domenico M. Romeo
- Pediatric Neurology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “A. Gemelli”, IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Pediatric Neurology Unit, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-06-30155340; Fax: +39-06-30154363
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SARS CoV-2 detected in neonatal stool remote from maternal COVID-19 during pregnancy. Pediatr Res 2022; 93:1375-1382. [PMID: 35986143 PMCID: PMC9388973 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-022-02266-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In utero transmission of SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has not been fully investigated. We investigated whether newborns of mothers with COVID-19 during pregnancy might harbor SARS-CoV-2 in the gastrointestinal tract. METHODS This cohort study investigated stool from 14 newborns born at 25-41 weeks admitted at delivery to our urban academic hospital whose mothers had COVID-19 during pregnancy. Eleven mothers had COVID-19 resolved more than 10 weeks before delivery. Newborn stool was evaluated for SARS-CoV-2 RNA, Spike protein, and induction of inflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in macrophages. RESULTS Despite negative SARS CoV-2 nasal PCRs from all newborns, viral RNAs and Spike protein were detected in the stool of 11 out of 14 newborns as early as the first day of life and increased over time in 6. Stool homogenates from all 14 newborns elicited elevated inflammatory IL-6 and IFN-γ from macrophages. Most newborns were clinically well except for one death from gestational autoimmune liver disease and another who developed necrotizing enterocolitis. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest in utero transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and possible persistent intestinal viral reservoirs in the newborns. Further investigation is required to understand the mechanisms and their clinical implications. IMPACT SARS-CoV-2 RNAs or Spike protein was detected in the stool of 11 out of 14 preterm newborns born to mothers with resolved COVID-19 weeks prior to delivery despite negative newborn nasal PCR swabs. These novel findings suggest risk of in utero SARS-CoV-2 transmission to the fetal intestine during gestation. The presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNAs and Spike protein in the intestines of newborns may potentially impact the development of the gut microbiome and the immune system; the long-term health impact on the preterm infants should be further investigated.
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Abstract
Maternal severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can present with or without symptoms at the time of birth. Symptomatic mothers are more likely be associated with preterm births. Population studies demonstrate a consistent association of SARS-CoV-2 infection and a reduction in preterm birth rate. Newborns with positive SARS-CoV-2 test results appear to have minimal burden of illness that is directly associated with a viral infection. Neonatal mortality directly related to SARS-CoV-2 is extremely rare. Maternal vaccination in pregnant women leads to maternal antibody production, and this can occur as early as 5 days after the first vaccination dose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey M. Perlman
- Division of Newborn, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1283 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA,Corresponding author
| | - Christine Salvatore
- Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Weill Cornell Medicine- New York Presbyterian Hospital, 505 East 70th Street, New York, NY 10065, USA
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Zöllkau J, Hagenbeck C, Hecher K, Pecks U, Schlembach D, Simon A, Schlösser R, Schleußner E. [Recommendations for SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 during Pregnancy, Birth and Childbed - Update November 2021 (Long Version)]. Z Geburtshilfe Neonatol 2021; 226:e1-e35. [PMID: 34918334 DOI: 10.1055/a-1688-9398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Since the onset of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the German Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics and the Society for Peri-/Neonatal Medicine have published and repeatedly updated recommendations for the management of SARS-CoV-2 positive pregnancies and neonates. As a continuation of existing recommendations, the current update addresses key issues related to the prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal care of pregnant women, women who have given birth, women who have recently given birth, women who are breastfeeding with SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19, and their unborn or newborn infants, based on publications through September 2021. Recommendations and opinions were carefully derived from currently available scientific data and subsequently adopted by expert consensus. This guideline - here available in the long version - is intended to be an aid to clinical decision making. Interpretation and therapeutic responsibility remain with the supervising local medical team, whose decisions should be supported by these recommendations. Adjustments may be necessary due to the rapid dynamics of new evidence. The recommendations are supported by the endorsement of the professional societies: German Society for Perinatal Medicine (DGPM), German Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics (DGGG), German Society for Prenatal and Obstetric Medicine (DGPGM), German Society for Pediatric Infectiology (DGPI), Society for Neonatology and Pediatric Intensive Care Medicine (GNPI).
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine Zöllkau
- Klinik für Geburtsmedizin, Universitätsklinikum Jena, Deutschland
| | - Carsten Hagenbeck
- Klinik für Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe, Universität Düsseldorf, Deutschland
| | - Kurt Hecher
- Klinik für Geburtshilfe und Pränatalmedizin, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Deutschland
| | - Ulrich Pecks
- Klinik für Gynäkologie und Geburtshilfe, Campus Kiel, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Deutschland
| | - Dietmar Schlembach
- Klinik für Geburtsmedizin, Vivantes Klinikum Neukölln, Berlin, Deutschland
| | - Arne Simon
- Klinik für Pädiatrische Onkologie und Hämatologie, Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes, Homburg/Saar, Deutschland
| | - Rolf Schlösser
- Schwerpunkt Neonatologie, Klinik für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin, Universitätsklinikum Frankfurt, Deutschland
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Plasma Lipidomic and Metabolomic Profiling after Birth in Neonates Born to SARS-CoV-19 Infected and Non-Infected Mothers at Delivery: Preliminary Results. Metabolites 2021; 11:metabo11120830. [PMID: 34940588 PMCID: PMC8706054 DOI: 10.3390/metabo11120830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Pregnant women are among the high-risk populations for COVID-19, whereas the risk of vertical transmission to the fetus is very low. Nevertheless, metabolic alternations described in COVID-19 patients may also occur in pregnant women and their offspring. We prospectively evaluated the plasma lipidomic and metabolomic profiles, soon after birth, in neonates born to infected mothers (cases, n = 10) and in the offspring of uninfected ones at delivery (controls, n = 10). All cases had two negative tests for SARS-CoV-2 (nasopharyngeal swabs) performed 72 h apart. Blood samples were obtained within the first hours after birth. Liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-TOF/MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were applied for the analyses. Multivariate statistical analysis was performed for data evaluation. Changes in several plasma lipid species-classes (long-chain fatty acids phosphatidylcholines, triglycerides), and amino-acids were identified that allowed for clear discrimination between the study groups. The results of this preliminary investigation suggest that neonates born to Sars-Cov-19 positive mothers, without evidence of viral infection at birth, have a distinct plasma lipidomic and metabolomic profile compared to those of uninfected mothers. Whether these findings are reflective of maternal metabolic alternations due to the virus or a metabolic response following an unidentified neonatal infection warrants further investigation.
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Somigliana E, Esposito G, Viganò P, Franchi M, Corrao G, Parazzini F. Effects of the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic on natural and ART-mediated birth rates in Lombardy Region, Northern Italy. Reprod Biomed Online 2021; 43:765-767. [PMID: 34474979 PMCID: PMC8496890 DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2021.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Revised: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Research question What effects did the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic have on natural and assisted reproductive technology (ART)-mediated birth rates? Design Regional registries were consulted with permission from the Health Authorities of Lombardy Region, Northern Italy, an area particularly affected by the early phase of the epidemic. Deliveries occurring in the area between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2020 from women beneficiaries of the National Health System and resident in Lombardy were identified. Comparisons mainly focused on December 2020, when women who conceived after 8 March (the start of the stringent lockdown imposed by the authorities) were expected to deliver. Results When comparing the periods January to November in 2019 and 2020, a 5.1% reduction of monthly general birth rate (from 5732 in 2019 to 5438 in 2020) was observed. The contribution of ART births was similar in 2019 and 2020, being 4.4% and 4.5%, respectively. In December 2020, a notable drop in natural (–17.8%), ART-mediated (–86.6%) and overall (–21.0%) births was observed compared with December 2019. After adjusting for the expected 5.1% reduction, the inferred effect of the COVID-19 crisis corresponded to a 16.7% reduction in birth rate, of which 76% was related to natural (707 births) and 24% to ART (218 births) conceptions. Conclusions This is the first study providing population-based evidence on the effects of COVID-19 and its related stringent restrictions on birth rates. The birth rate was dramatically reduced following the critical period, and the closure of ART centres played only a marginal role (24%) in the overall detrimental effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edgardo Somigliana
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Neonatology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
| | - Giovanna Esposito
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Viganò
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Neonatology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Matteo Franchi
- Laboratory of Healthcare Research and Pharmacoepidemiology, Department of Statistics and Quantitative Methods, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy; National Centre for Healthcare Research and Pharmacoepidemiology, Milan, Italy
| | - Giovanni Corrao
- Laboratory of Healthcare Research and Pharmacoepidemiology, Department of Statistics and Quantitative Methods, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy; National Centre for Healthcare Research and Pharmacoepidemiology, Milan, Italy
| | - Fabio Parazzini
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Neonatology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
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Joma M, Fovet CM, Seddiki N, Gressens P, Laforge M. COVID-19 and Pregnancy: Vertical Transmission and Inflammation Impact on Newborns. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:391. [PMID: 33921113 PMCID: PMC8071483 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9040391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing and we are still compiling new findings to decipher and understand SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy. No reports encompass any conclusive confirmation of vertical transmission. Nevertheless, cases of fetal distress and multiple organ failure have been reported, as well as rare cases of fetal demise. While clinicians and scientists continue to seek proof of vertical transmission, they miss the greater point, namely the cause of preterm delivery. In this review, we suggest that the cause might not be due to the viral infection but the fetal exposure to maternal inflammation or cytokine storm that translates into a complication of COVID-19. This statement is extrapolated from previous experience with infections and inflammation which were reported to be fatal by increasing the risk of preterm delivery and causing abnormal neonatal brain development and resulting in neurological disorders like atypical behavioral phenotype or autistic syndrome. Given the potentially fatal consequences on neonate health, we highlight the urgent need for an animal model to study vertical transmission. The preclinical model will allow us to make the link between SARS-COV-2 infection, inflammation and long-term follow-up of child brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Joma
- Université de Paris, NeuroDiderot, Inserm, 75019 Paris, France; (M.J.); (P.G.)
| | - Claire-Maelle Fovet
- INSERM U1184, CEA, IDMIT Department, Immunology of Viral, Auto-Immune, Hematological and Bacterial Diseases (IMVA-HB), Université Paris-Saclay, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; (C.-M.F.); (N.S.)
| | - Nabila Seddiki
- INSERM U1184, CEA, IDMIT Department, Immunology of Viral, Auto-Immune, Hematological and Bacterial Diseases (IMVA-HB), Université Paris-Saclay, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; (C.-M.F.); (N.S.)
| | - Pierre Gressens
- Université de Paris, NeuroDiderot, Inserm, 75019 Paris, France; (M.J.); (P.G.)
| | - Mireille Laforge
- Université de Paris, NeuroDiderot, Inserm, 75019 Paris, France; (M.J.); (P.G.)
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