Do timing and severity of gestational COVID-19 impact perinatal and neonatal outcomes?

To examine the relationship between gestational COVID-19 and perinatal-neonatal outcomes.

Prospective cohort study. Neonates born at Hospital del Mar (Barcelona) between 2020 and 2022 were classified into two cohorts according to their mother’s COVID-19 status during pregnancy. Prenatal and postnatal variables were compared between the COVID-19 and the control cohort, and depending on timing and severity of maternal infection.

We included 2701 neonates and observed higher rates of respiratory distress (5.7% vs 3.3%, p = 0.044) and pathological jaundice (7.7% vs 4.1%, p = 0.007) in the COVID-19 cohort, without differences between trimesters. We did not find statistically significant differences in other perinatal outcomes. The logistic regression analyses showed that maternal COVID-19 was not a risk factor for prematurity (OR:1.23;CI:0.75–2.03; p = 0.407).

Infants born to mothers with COVID-19 during pregnancy in our hospital showed higher rates of respiratory distress and pathological jaundice, without increased rates of prematurity or other morbidities.