Care for neonates with confirmed or suspected COVID-19: update after a year of pandemic

Abstract

Advances in the knowledge of the particularities of COVID-19 in the neonatal period have led to some changes in the recommendations for clinical practice, reasons that motivated us to present this article with the aim of updating the aspects related to the care of newborns with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 after a year of pandemic. Neonatal SARS-CoV-2 infection can be congenital or intrapartum or postpartum acquired. The incidence of SARS-CoV-2 positive infants in COVID-19-positive women near delivery is 1.8-2.7%. About 55% of neonates with COVID-19 have clinical manifestations. Of special interest, due to its severity, is the fetal inflammatory response syndrome or neonatal multisystem inflammatory syndrome, of rare presentation. The possibility of occurrence of congenital and intrapartum neonatal infection justifies the implementation of actions for its diagnosis and prevention. Breastfeeding in children of women with COVID-19 should be maintained. During cardiopulmonary resuscitation and respiratory care, compliance with strict protective measures is required. COVID-19 has particularities in the newborn with respect to other ages. The clinical evaluation of the newborn with suspected COVID-19 should take into account the multiple patterns that link the various alterations that occur in the mother-child day by day in the perinatal period, with a view to optimizing the diagnosis, classification and treatment of this disease in the neonatal period.

 COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; newborn; diagnosis; health care; treatment; prevention and control.