Description of perinatal results in COVID positive mothers assisted in public and private institutions in Montevideo, between March 2020 and June 2021

Abstract

Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 virus caused a pandemic that affected the health of the world´s population since 2019, what resulted in changes in health behaviors.
Objectives: to describe obstetrical and neonatal results in mothers positive for COVID-19 at the time of birth in public and private institutions between March, 2020 and June, 2021.
Method: observational, descriptive, retrospective study of pregnant women positive for COVID-19 at the time of delivery and their neonates at Pereira Rossell Hospital and Medica Uruguaya.
Results: a sample of 240 mothers and 244 neonates was studied. 0.42% (n=1) of mothers evidenced severe symptoms for COVID-19. 46% (n=110) of pregnancies ended up in C-sections. 3% of mothers were admitted to ICU due to gestational complications in most cases. As to the newborns, 86.5% of them were in contact with their mother their first day of life, the first cause for their being admitted to ICU was absence of a caregiver. PCR tests were performed to all newborns and no vertical transmission was identified. Hospitalization was longer than three days in 36.48% of cases (n=89). Only one neonatal death was recorded as a consequence of extreme prematurity. Exclusively breastfed babies represented 19.67% (n=48) during hospitalization.
Conclusions: the pandemic affected the initial assistance of the mother-child binomial. No increase was observed in the number of C-sections, although exclusive breastfeeding did decrease, hospitalization was longer and there was an increase in admission to the ICU although no neonate contagion was observed.