Association of SARS-CoV-2 Infection During Late Pregnancy with Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes

Background: Limited data on the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during pregnancy on newborn outcomes are available. This study aimed to characterize and compare the clinical outcomes of newborns from women with and without the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection during late pregnancy.

Method: This was a retrospective cohort study of women who were either infected or not infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus during late pregnancy. The neonatal complications associated with COVID-19-positive pregnant women were investigated and analyzed.

Results: Among 2063 pregnant women over 28 weeks of gestation, 1.2%, 3.3%, and 18.7% of patients with multiple pregnancies, abnormal fetal positions, and lack of maternal or neonatal follow-up data, respectively, were excluded. Patients who were COVID-19-negative (60.6%) and -positive (16.2%) remained for further analysis. SARS-CoV-2 infection was significantly associated with higher SARS-CoV-2 infection rates in newborns (0% vs. 1.49%, P < 0.01) and longer duration of hospital stay (6.39 ± 2.2 vs. 4.92 ± 1.6, P < 0.01). However, comparing neonatal complications, including Apgar score, preterm birth, low birth weight, cesarean section rate, newborn hearing, neonatal congenital heart defects, and height and weight compliance rate of 6-month-old children, between non-infected and infected participants did not reach statistical significance.

Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 infection in late pregnancy has no significant impact on neonatal outcomes. After six months of follow-up of the neonates, we observed that SARS-CoV-2 infection in the third trimester of pregnancy did not affect their growth and development. Hopefully, these findings will guide management strategies and clinical practice.