VERTICAL TRANSMISSION OF CORONAVIRUS. LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread throughout the world. This is due to its high infectious capacity; therefore, the mother and child are affected due to the increase in possible complications; This situation has caused uncertainty in pregnant women and their families. Objectives: to determine the possibility of contagion by vertical transmission or by breast milk in newborns of mothers with confirmed COVID-19, in order to protect their health and that of health personnel. Materials and methods: a bibliographic review has been carried out based on the articles published in the main scientific sites. For the information search, terms such as neonates, pathophysiology, coronavirus, initial management, and vertical transmission were used. Studies on children of women with SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy that have been confirmed by laboratory and that allow access to the full article online were considered, scientific articles, reviews and guides were accepted, while articles not validated were rejected. Publications in English and Spanish from the last year were accepted. Results: a total of 30 articles were obtained after applying the eligibility criteria, obtaining results such as elimination of measures of early attachment and immediate breastfeeding, in addition to standardizing biological sampling in newborns for detection of SARS-CoV-2 in the first hours of life. However, the WHO does not support such measures and proposes to maintain routine care of the newborn; RNA particles of the virus have not been isolated from breast milk, but they have been isolated from samples of amniotic fluid and umbilical cord. Conclusions: The management of choice for the newborn is still controversial, breast milk is safe, and the evidence of vertical transmission continues to be verified due to the absence of conclusive evidence.