SPECIAL REPORT | VOLUME 17/ISSUE 2, MARCH 2021

Neonatal SARS-CoV-2 infection: is this a vertical transmission?

Neonatal COVID-19, its manifestations and transmission, remains unclear. As the pandemic continues more evidence will emerge but so far, vertical transmission of COVID-19 is rare with just a few reports in the literature.¹ We share our experience of managing a preterm newborn with COVID-19 in our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) where the vertical route seems the most likely mode of transmission.

Femi Adeniyi
ST6 Paediatrics
femi.adeniyi@nhs.net

Sanjeev Rath
Neonatal Consultant
s.rath@nhs.net

Yewande Wey
MTI Fellow
yewande.wey@nhs.net

Arrowe Park Hospital, Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

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Keywords

parental visiting; COVID-19; family-integrated care

Key points

Parents are partners in care for their babies and should never be considered visitors on NNUs.
Policy changes during the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in many parents being separated from their babies.
Reduced parental visiting may have a negative impact on the whole family with long-term consequences.
A multi-pronged approach is required to ensure that parents are respected as partners in care for their baby.