Study, country, setting | Sample size | Age of symptom onset | Gestations of neonate at delivery | Diagnosis present in the mother and method | Delivery details/method/ Apgar/ rescucitation | PPE procedures undertaken at delivery | Method of COVID-19 diagnosis and timing | Symptoms and complications | Therapy | Length of follow-up/final outcome |
Alzamora et al,29 Peru, secondary hospital | 1 | Day 0 | Unclear, presumed 34 weeks. | Nasopharyngeal swab RT-PCR assay positive. | The neonate weighed 2970 g, with Apgar scores of 6 and 8 at 1 and 5 min, respectively. | He was immediately separated from his mother and was not exposed to family members. | Nasopharyngeal swab of neonate for SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR, obtained 16 hours after delivery. | Neonate was electively intubated at birth. | Baby required 12 hours, then continuous positive airway pressure and was weaned successfully. | On the sixth day of life, the newborn had mild respiratory difficulty and sporadic cough requiring supplemental oxygen with nasal cannula. |
Kamali Aghdam et al,30 Iran, children’s hospital | 1 | 15 days | Term. | CS, no diagnostic tests in mother. | Not stated in detail. | Not reported. | Pharyngeal swab RT-PCR assay positive. | Fever, no cough, mild subcostal recession. | Oxygen and fluids, vancomycin and amikacin given. | Discharged well on day 6 after admission. |
Chacón-Aguilar et al,31 Spain, secondary hospital | 1 | 26 days | Not reported. | Symptomatic family members, no further details. | Unremarkable history, nil else noted. | Not reported. | A nasopharyngeal swab sample was tested for SARS-CoV-2 on admission. | Swinging fever, cranial ultrasound and EEG were normal. | Empirical antibiotics. | Day 6 discharge, neurologically normal and follow-up appointment booked. |
Piersigilli et al,32 Belgium | 1 | From birth | 26 weeks+4 days’ gestation. | Diagnosed on day 6 with chest symptoms and by RT-PCR from nasopharyngeal swab. | CS section due to maternal HELLP syndrome, Apgars 5/8/8 at 1 min/5 min/10 min. | None reported. | Day 7 when mother’s results returned by RT-CPR. | Normal preterm course, chest radiograph showed no parenchymal infiltrates. | Initial non-invasive positive pressure ventilation and surfactant, pneumothorax at 12 hours. | Swab negative at 14 days, still in neonatal unit receiving care. |
Wang et al,33 China, secondary hospital | 1 | 17 days | 38 weeks 6 days. | Mother and father positive for nucleic acid testing. | Normal delivery, no resuscitation. | Not reported. | Day 20 negative nasopharyngeal swab for RT-PCR, positive on day 23. | Day 17 vomiting and loose stools, day 18 fever, day 20 cough. | No active management described. | Day 29 RT-PCR swabs negative and child discharged on day, discharged 14 days after admission, well. |
Wang et al,34 Wuhan, China, secondary hospital | 1 | N/A, as asymptomatic | Term. | Pharyngeal swab positive. | Emergency CS, Apgar 8 at 1 minut, 9 at 5 minute. | The mother had been wearing an N95 mask throughout the operation, and the baby had no contact with the mother after birth. | The result of pharyngeal swab for SARS-CoV-2 was positive at 36 hours after birth. All products of delivery negative. | Asymptomatic. | No treatment needed. | Day 17 swabs negative, discharged on day 18. |
Yu et al,35 China, tertiary hospital | 1 (6 negative infants reported) | Day 1 | 39 weeks 6 days. | Pharyngeal swab RT-PCR positive on admission. | Elective CS due to maternal diagnosis. | Maternal swab RT-PCR. | Swab positive for RT-PCR. | No fever/cough, with mild shortness of breath symptoms. Chest X-ray revealed mild pulmonary infection. | Standard neonatal care. | Discharged after 2 weeks, well. |
Zeng et al,36 China, tertiary hospital | 33 babies analysed, 3 positive |
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| All mothers had confirmed COVID-19 pneumonia by nasopharyngeal swabs (RT-PCR). | All three were elective CS due to maternal COVID-19 pneumonia. | Not described in the communication. | Nasopharyngeal and anal swabs sent for SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR in all three babies; all were positive on day 2 and day 4, and negative by days 6–7. |
| Standard neonatal care and antibiotics; for the preterm baby, treatment as indicated for RDS. | Final devolution not described in the article, but stated as favourable outcomes in all three babies. |
CS, caesarean section; EEG, electroencephalogram; HELLP, hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and a low platelet count syndrome; N/A, not applicable; PPE, personal protective equipment; RDS, respiratory distress syndrome; RT-PCR, reverse transcription PCR; SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.