In the United States, a baby girl born prematurely has tested positive for Covid-19. His mother had it. According to the researchers, this is proof of the possibility of intrauterine transmission.
Several babies have been born with Covid-19 around the world. The case of a premature, born at 34 weeks, in Texas is decisive for American researchers. According to them, it provides proof that intrauterine transmission of the virus is possible. They publish the study of this case in The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.
An analysis of the placenta
“Our study is the first to document the intrauterine transmission of infection during pregnancy, based on immunohistochemical and ultrastructural evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in fetal placental cells”, details Amanda S. Evans, co-author of the study. The baby’s mother had been diagnosed with Covid-19 when she gave birth at 34 weeks, after a premature rupture of the membranes. At birth, the child appeared healthy with normal breathing. On the second day, the little girl started having a fever and then had problems breathing. “It was not possible that the respiratory distress was linked to prematurity because it started only from the second day”, specify the researchers.
SARS-SoV-2 tests were carried out 24 hours and 48 hours after birth: both tested positive. 14 days later, the child was still positive for the virus. The baby was placed on oxygen but did not require mechanical ventilation. 21 days after delivery, the mother and child were able to return home.
Protect yourself from the virus
The scientific team analyzed the placenta: traces of Covid-19 were detected, as well as a protein linked to the virus. According to them, this confirms that the contamination occurred through the uterus and not during or after childbirth. “Intrauterine transmission of SARS-CoV-2 appears to be rare,” the researchers add. “We want to be very careful with the interpretation of these results, but now it is even more important for pregnant women to protect themselves from Covid-19.”
A case in Peru in April
Last April, a baby was born in Peru, infected with Covid-19. According to the Peruvian health authorities, the virus was also transmitted through the placenta. If there are several cases of contamination of the child through the uterus, the world health organization does not take a position on the subject. On her site, she says: “We still do not know if a pregnant woman with COVID-19 can transmit the virus to the fetus during pregnancy or to the baby during delivery. To date, the presence of the virus has not was not found in samples of amniotic fluid or breast milk.”
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