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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is the first pandemic of the 21 st century. SARS-CoV-2 infection is mainly transmitted via droplets. Although some cases of perinatal transmission have been reported, it is unclear whether these infections occurred via transplacental or transcervical routes or via environmental exposure. Herein, we present the case of a newborn who died with neonatal acute respiratory distress syndrome exhibiting severe pulmonary involvement. The baby was born to a COVID-19 PCR (+) mother by C-section and was found to be COVID-19 PCR (+) from a nasopharyngeal swab sample tested within 24 hours of birth due to the suspected transplacental transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from the mother to the fetus.

Background: Change in airway resistance and inflammation are the two most commonly accused pathogenetic processes in the coexistence of asthma and obesity. The aim of this study was to compare airway resistance between normal weight and overweight/obese children using impulse oscillometry (IOS). Methods: We consecutively enrolled 3 to 10-year-old children with asthma who presented to our department between May and August 2018. Ones with a body mass index percentile at or above 85th percentile were grouped as overweight/obese. Sociodemographic characteristics such as age, sex and family history of allergy were recorded and Test for Respiratory and Asthma Control in Kids (TRACK) was filled in for all. Finally, impulse oscillometric (IOS) measurements were taken. Results: We enrolled 170 subjects; among which 114 (67.1%) were normal weight while 56 (33%) were overweight/obese. Sociodemographic characteristics were not significantly different between the two groups, but asthma control was significantly worse in the overweight/obese group (75.9±21.1 vs 85.9±17.8, p=0.001). Impulse oscillometric measurements of resistance and reactance were nor significantly different between the two groups. Conclusion: Asthma control in children who are overweight or obese are worse compared to the normal weight ones but, airway resistance and reactance measured by IOS at different frequencies are not significantly different between these two groups. This implies that airway resistance change may not the main pathogenetic mechanism underlying the uncontrolled asthma and obesity coexistence.

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Rationale: Maternal psychosocial stress might be associated with development of allergic diseases in the offspring.Objectives: To evaluate the association of maternal depression and anxiety with ever wheezing and recurrent wheezing among infants and to assess the role of maternal hypothalamo-pituatary-adrenal axis changes and fetal immune response in this association.Methods: This study encompasses two designs; cohort design was developed to evaluate the association of prenatal depression with development of wheezing in infants while nested case-control design was used to assess the role of maternal cortisol and tetranectin and cord blood interleukin 13 and interferon γ.Results: We enrolled 697 pregnant women. Elementary school graduate mother (odds ratio [OR] = 1.5, p = .06), maternal smoking during pregnancy (OR = 3.4, p = .001), familial history of asthma (OR = 2.7, p < .001) increased the risk of ever wheezing. Elementary school graduate mother (OR = 2.6, p = .002), maternal smoking during pregnancy (OR = 4.8, p < .001) and familial history of asthma (OR = 1.7, p = .01) increased the risk of recurrent wheezing. Maternal previous psychiatric disease, or Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale or Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory scores were not associated with wheezing. Maternal tetranectin levels were significantly higher among never wheezers compared to the ever wheezers (264.3 ± 274.8 vs. 201.6 ± 299.7, p = .04). Conclusions:In conclusion, the major risk factors for ever wheezing and recurrent wheezing were maternal smoking, level of education and family history of asthma. However, maternal depression and anxiety were not determined as risk factors for wheezing. Maternal tetranectin carries potential as a biomarker for wheezing in the infant.