Clinical outcomes in newborns of pregnant women with COVID-19: integrative review.
Iara Bezerra da Silva Ximenes, Cassiano Richel Ferreira Leal, Odinéia Maria Amorim Batista and 6 others
PMID 38958355WHAT IT FOUND
Most newborns exposed to maternal COVID-19 had mild or no symptoms, but prematurity was common and some tested positive later.
The review could not confirm vertical transmission, and outcomes varied across 11 studies.
Key findings
01The most common newborn clinical manifestations were dyspnea in 62.5%, 5th-minute Apgar scores below 8 in 37.5%, and respiratory distress syndrome, fever, or emesis in 25%.
02Prematurity was the most prevalent gestational complication, cited in 75% of all studies.
03Only 50% of included studies documented newborns with positive COVID-19 tests, while 50% had all negative tests, so vertical transmission remained unproven.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only 11 primary studies were included, so the review may not capture the full range of newborn outcomes. Most included studies were from China, and all were in English, which may limit applicability to other regions and populations. Some included studies had limited sample sizes. The validity of vertical transmission findings may be affected by limitations in testing specific IgM and IgG antibodies in neonatal samples.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that maternal COVID-19 usually infects newborns. Only 50% of included studies documented positive newborn tests, and in 50% all tested negative, so vertical transmission was not confirmed.