The pandemic of COVID-19 confronts our conventional and approved way of neonatal and maternal health management with many uncertainties. What is the risk for transmitting the virus form mother to child during delivery? Is breastfeeding still the recommended way of feeding the infant? And what are the risk factors associated with transmission? The article “Neonatal management and outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic: an observational cohort study”, published by the Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, investigates possible answers to those questions and concurrently presents best practice examples regarding infection control between mother and child.
The study included 106 neonates born between March 22 and 17 2020 at three hospitals in New York with mothers tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 at delivery. All mothers were allowed to breastfeed and to practice skin-to-skin care after undertaking proper hygiene precautions such as hand hygiene, breast cleansing and placement of a surgical mask. Neonates were repeatedly tested for SARS-CoV-2 by PCR at 24 h, 5 -7 days and 14 days of life. They also received a clinical evaluation by telemedicine at 1 month of age. The final analysis took into account the practices undertaken to control infection and included the disposition of the neonate at delivery (rooming in with the mother or admitted to an isolation room), the feeding method (a form of breastfeeding or formula), and self-reported frequency of hand hygiene, breast cleansing and use of surgical masks. None of the neonates were tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 within the given follow-up period or developed symptoms of COVID-19.
The findings suggest that safe methods such as intensified hygiene measurements exist which allow rooming-in without any health concerns. Also breastfeeding proved to be a safe procedure when infant protection strategies such as mask placement and breast cleansing are taught to parents beforehand.
For more information and detailed research results please visit: The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health
