Ultrasound screening of newborns from mothers with COVID-19 during pregnancy

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy can cause adverse maternal and fetal outcomes, but to this date its effects on infants born to mothers with COVID-19 are not well-studied, and more clinical observations are needed.

The aim of the study was to investigate spectrum of ultrasound changes in brain, heart and internal organs in children born to mothers who underwent COVID-19 during pregnancy.

Material and methods. Screening ultrasound examination of brain, heart and internal organs was performed on days 1-5 of life for 159 born to mothers who underwent COVID-19 during pregnancy born to mothers who underwent COVID-19 during pregnancy and 159 newborns comparable in gestational age and body weight, born in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Results. In infants born to mothers who underwent COVID-19 during pregnancy, more often than in the control group, nonspecific ultrasound signs were detected that indirectly indicated on intrauterine infection [choroid plexus cysts and striatal vasculopathy (p<0.05)]. Frequency of ischemic and hemorrhagic brain lesions occurrence, as well as frequency of changes in structural imaging appearance of abdominal organs and kidneys did not differ between groups (p>0.05). In infants born to mothers who underwent COVID-19 during pregnancy, fetal communications functioned more often than in the control group, which could be associated with the examination at an earlier age in the main group (p<0.05).

Conclusion. Absolute majority of ultrasound changes detected in children born to mothers who underwent COVID-19 during pregnancy were characteristic of neonatal period and were not accompanied by clinical manifestations, with exception of rare findings in isolated patients. In children from the study group, indirect nonspecific signs of intrauterine infections were diagnosed statistically significantly more often than in the control group, while no differences in incidence of severe brain and internal organ lesions were found between the groups.

Keywords:newborn, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, case-control study, ultrasound, screening

Funding. The study had no sponsor support.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

For citation: Sugak A.B., Grebneva O.V., Nikitina I.V., Filippova E.A., Karavaeva A.L., Timofeeva L.A., Zubkov V.V., Kosolapova Yu.A., Makieva M.I., Degtyarev D.N. Ultrasound screening of newborns from mothers with COVID-19 during pregnancy. Neonatologiya: novosti, mneniya, obuchenie [Neonatology: News, Opinions, Training]. 2021; 9 (2): 7-14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33029/2308-2402-2021-9-2-7-14 (in Russian)

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CHIEF EDITOR
CHIEF EDITOR
Degtyarev Dmitriy Nikolaevich
Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Deputy Director for Scientific Research of the V.I. Kulakov Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology National Medical Research Center of Ministry of Healthсаre of the Russian Federation, Head of the Chair of Neonatology at the Clinical Institute of Children's Health named after N.F. Filatov, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Chairman of the Ethics Committee of the Russian Society of Neonatologists, Moscow, Russian Federation

ORCID iD 0000-0001-8975-2425

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