While all women have had COVID-19 during pregnancy, 55% tested positive within 10 days of giving birth. | Photo credit: iStock Images
Washington: Researchers found that babies born to women infected with COVID-19 during pregnancy exhibited reassuring growth and development patterns during a six-month follow-up.
The research was published in the ‘Journal of Perinatal Medicine’.
“Our results should be reassuring for pregnant women with COVID-19 who are concerned about how the virus might affect the baby,” said lead author Malika Shah, MD, neonatologist at Lurie Children’s and medical director of the Newborn Nursery at Prentice Hospital for Women; and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
“At the 6-month follow-up, we observed normal growth patterns and developmental milestones, with a development referral rate no higher than what we normally see. This is very good news during the pandemic which has has been particularly difficult for populations facing health inequalities and the disproportionate impact of COVID-19, ”she added.
The study involved 33 publicly insured women and their infants, all identified as Latinx. While all women have had COVID-19 during pregnancy, 55% tested positive within 10 days of giving birth. None of the infants in the study tested positive for COVID-19. Three of the infants (10%) were born prematurely and five infants (15%) required neonatal intensive care for conditions unrelated to COVID-19.
The study followed infants born from April to July 2020 before COVID-19 vaccines became available and before variants of concern emerged.
“As the pandemic persists and variants emerge, it is essential to look at the longer-term results. FQHCs have been at the forefront of providing care to vulnerable populations from the start. Partnerships with FQHCs, such as Erie Family Health Center, make it possible to carry out these studies, “said Dr Shah.