Introduction: COVID-19 is an emerging rapidly evolving pandemic originated from Wuhan city of Hubei province in China. COVID-19 has rapidly spread to affect over 200 countries worldwide. Children account for 1-5% of diagnosed COVID-19 cases. The clinical characteristics, disease progression and prognosis appear to be significantly milder in pediatric population compared to adults. As per current guidelines from Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecological societies of India (FOGSI), NNF, IAP suspected and confirmed COVID positive mothers should be delivered in separate delivery rooms and operation theaters. There are a few published cases of COVID-19 occurring in pregnancy and the possibility of mother fetal vertical transmission. There is a concern that the fetuses may be at risk of congenital COVID-19.

Methodology: It is a prospective cohort study and was conducted in Cama and Albless hospital, Mumbai on newborns admitted to covid positive ward with covid positive mother. Duration of this study was 3 months and 200 newborns were included. All newborns born to covid positive mothers were tested with RT PCR for COVID-19 and results were complied.

Results: Among 200 neonates reported born to covid-19 positive women, vertical transmission is suspected in 6 neonates(3%) and was confirmed by a positive RT-PCR.

Conclusion: It is evident from the present study that there is only limited,i.e 3% of vertical transmission of COVID from infected mother to newborn.

Keywords: RT PCR of Covid -19,Vertical transmission of COVID-19.

1. Wang W, Xu  Y, Gao  R,  et al.  Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in different types of clinical specimens.  JAMA. Published March 11, 2020. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.3786
2. Zeng LK, Tao XW, Yuan WH, Wang J, Liu X, Liu ZS. [First case of neonate infected with novel coronavirus pneumonia in China]. Zhonghua ErKe ZaZhi. 2020;58: E009.
3. Chen  H, Guo  J, Wang  C,  et al.  Clinical characteristics and intrauterine vertical transmission potential of COVID-19 infection in nine pregnant women: a retrospective review of medical records.  Lancet. 2020;395(10226):809-815. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30360-3
4. Zhu  H, Wang  L, Fang  C,  et al.  Clinical analysis of 10 neonates born to mothers with 2019-nCoV pneumonia. Transl Pediatr. 2020; 9(1):51-60. doi:10.21037/tp.2020.02.06
5. Wang L, Shi Y, Xiao T, Fu J, Feng X, Mu D, et al. Chinese expert consensus on the perinatal and neonatal management for the prevention and control of the 2019 novel coronavirus infection (First edition). Ann Transl Med. 2020;8.
6. Lu Q, Shi Y. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and neonate: What neonatologist need to know. Journal of Medical Virology. 2020; 92:564-67.
7. British Paediatric Allergy Immunity and Infection Group. BPAIIG Position Statement: Sars-CoV-2 Treatment Guidance version 1.2. Available from: https://www.bpaiig.org/news-bpaiig-positionstatement-sars-cov-2-treatment-guidance-version-12. Accessed April 06, 2020.
8. Improved Molecular Diagnosis of COVID-19 by the Novel, Highly Sensitive and Specific COVID-19-RdRp/Hel Real-Time Reverse Transcription-PCR Assay Validated In Vitroand with Clinical Specimens. Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan, Cyril Chik-Yan Yip, Kelvin Kai-Wang To, Tommy Hing-Cheung Tang, Sally Cheuk-Ying Wong, Kit-Hang Leung, Agnes Yim-Fong Fung, Anthony Chin-Ki Ng, Zijiao Zou, Hoi-Wah Tsoi, Garnet Kwan- Yue Choi, Anthony Raymond Tam, Vincent Chi-Chung Cheng, Kwok-Hung Chan, Owen Tak-Yin Tsang, Kwok-Yung Yuen. Journal of Clinical Microbiology Apr 2020, 58 (5) e00310-20; DOI:1128/JCM.00310-20
9. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Government of India. Guidelines to be followed on detection of suspect/confirmed COVID-19 case in a non COVID Health Facility.2020.
10. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. Specimen Collection, Packaging and Transport Guidelines for 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV).
11. Chawla, Deepak & Chirla, Dinesh & Dalwai, Samir & Deorari, Ashok & Gandhi, Alpesh&Kabra, Nandkishor & Kumar, Praveen & Mittal, Pratima & Parekh, Bakul & Sankar, Jeeva & Singhal, Tanu & Sivanandan, Sindhu & Tank, Parikshit. (2020). Perinatal-Neonatal Management of COVID-19 Infection - Guidelines of the Federation of Obstetric and Gynecological Societies of India (FOGSI), National Neonatology Forum of India (NNF), and Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP). Indian pediatrics.
12. Sinha IP, Harwood R, Semple MG, Hawcutt DB, Thursfield R, Narayan O, et al. COVID-19 infection in children. Lancet Respir. 2020 Mar 27. Available from: https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S2213-2600%2820%2930152-1. Accessed on April 05, 2020. [Epub ahead of print]
13. Balasubramanian S, Rao NM, Goenka A, Roderick M, Ramanan AV. Coronavirus disease (covid-19) in children – what we know so far and what we do not. Indian Pediatr. 2020 Apr 9. Available from: https://www.indianpediatrics.net/CONVID29. 03.2020/SA-00159.pdf. Accessed April 24, 2020.

Anju Paul

Junior Resident, D.C.H, Department of Pediatrics, Grant Govt Medical College, Mumbai, India