Neonatal management and outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic: an observation cohort study
This US observational cohort study, which included 116 mothers positive for SARS-CoV-2 at delivery, found no neonates tested positive at birth or after 5-7 days, despite 78% still breastfeeding at this time. Mothers had to wear a surgical mask and practice proper hand hygiene.
Source:
The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health
SPS commentary:
The authors suggest from their data that perinatal transmission of COVID-19 is unlikely if correct hygiene precautions are undertaken, and that allowing neonates to room in with their mothers and direct breastfeeding are safe procedures when paired with effective parental education of infant protective strategies. They do however acknowledge the limitations of their study, including limited sample size and follow-up, a large loss to follow-up, and the lack of screening for the presence of virus in the blood (it therefore remains possible that the virus might be detectable only in the blood in congenitally infected neonates). They say that further study with longer follow-up and serology testing may be required to confirm their findings.