Management of the first newborn delivered by a mother with COVID-19 in South Korea

Abstract

Clinical note Key message Question: How to manage the newborn born to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pregnant? Finding: Medical staff managed the delivery and neonatal care of a COVID-19 pregnant patient was based on the "Guidelines for COVID-19 response." Meaning: We desire that our management will help treat for subsequent patients and there should be updated continuously the prevention and control consensus strategies for newborn COVID-19. On March 6, 2020, a female neonate was born to a 28-yearold woman in Daegu Fatima Hospital at 37 weeks and 6 days. On February 24, twelve days before the delivery, her mother was confirmed with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and stayed self-isolated at home. Her father, who is also a member of the Shincheonji religious organization, was diagnosed with COVID-19 2 days before his wife. We report a first case of infant born to mother with confirmed COVID-19 in South Korea and describe the management approach for neonates born to women with confirmed COVID-19 including practical method for prevention and control infection.

Neonatal COVID-19 exposures and infections: a systematic review of modes of transmission, manifestations and management

“…Fifty-six studies were included in this review. Thirty one of the studies were conducted in China while the remaining studies were carried out in Iran (five) 1,14-17 , South Korea (two) 2, 18 , USA (seven) 3,[19][20][21][22][23][24] , Italy (four) [25][26][27][28] , Spain (three) [29][30][31] , Peru (one) 4 , France (one) 32 , Australia (one) 33 , Belgium (one) 34 (Table 1). All the studies were published between January and August 2020 (Table 1 Table 1).…”

“…A few studies documented the use of antiviral drugs like oseltamivir and acyclovir. 1,9,14,18 The effect of these drugs in the clinical course of COVID-19 infection is still being evaluated. In this review most of the neonates did not receive antiviral drugs and still had good outcome.…”

Outcomes of Late-Preterm and Term Infants Born to SARS-CoV-2-Positive Mothers

“…Previous reports on newborns of mothers with COVID-19 in Korea reported about 4 infants born at full term via cesarean section and immediately separated from their mothers. 9 10 11 No infant tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Our findings are consistent with those of previous case studies managed using a similar policy.…”

Early Essential Newborn Care can still be used with mothers who have COVID‐19 if effective infection control measures are applied

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Early pandemic guidance was that mothers with COVID-19 should be separated from their babies immediately to avoid perinatal transmission. [1][2][3] However, emerging evidence has shown that placental, amniotic fluid and breast milk samples are usually virus-free. Newborn infections are uncommon, not severe and usually come from contact with infected carers or family.

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