The novel coronavirus does not appear to pass on from mother to child at birth, according to a case study conducted in China.
Researchers examined four pregnant women in a hospital in Wuhan, China, who tested positive for COVID-19. They detailed their findings in the journal Frontiers in Pediatrics.
All four women gave birth after a full-term pregnancy. The newborns were initially isolated in neonatal intensive care units and fed formula.
Researchers found none of the infants developed serious clinical symptoms such as fever, cough or diarrhea, which are associated with COVID-19. Three of the four babies tested negative for the respiratory infection. The mother of the fourth child did not give permission for the test.
Two infants had rashes at birth, the origin of which was unknown. The rashes disappeared on their own. One infant had tachypnea, a breathing issue, and required mechanical ventilation for three days.
The babies were alive when discharged from the hospital.