scholarly journals Microphthalmia and Optic Nerve Hypoplasia Induced by Maternal Coronavirus Infection?

Author(s):  
Patrick Morhart ◽  
Christian Mardin ◽  
Manfred Rauh ◽  
Jörg Jüngert ◽  
Johanna Hammersen ◽  
...  

Abstract Possible mother-to-child transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) during pregnancy is still a matter of debate. We studied the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on 56 complete households, including 27 newborns whose mothers were pregnant when exposed to the virus. Three perinatal SARS-CoV-2 transmissions with mild symptoms in affected neonates were recorded (two cases confirmed by PCR, the third one based on clinical findings). In addition, we observed a severe eye malformation (unilateral microphthalmia, optic nerve hypoplasia, and congenital retinopathy) associated with maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection in weeks 5 and 6 of embryonic development. This embryopathy could not be explained by other infectious agents, genetic factors, or drug use during pregnancy. Eight other women with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection prior to gestational week 12, however, delivered healthy infants.Conclusion: The repeated occurrence of mother-to-child transmission in our cohort with risks that remain incompletely understood, such as long-term effects and the possibility of an embryopathy, should sensitize researchers and stimulate further studies as well as strongly support COVID19 vaccination recommendations for pregnant women.Trial registration number: NCT04741412Date of registration: November 18, 2020

Author(s):  
Patrick Morhart ◽  
Christian Mardin ◽  
Manfred Rauh ◽  
Jörg Jüngert ◽  
Johanna Hammersen ◽  
...  

AbstractThe risk and potential consequences of mother-to-child transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) during pregnancy are still a matter of debate. We studied the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on 56 complete households, including 27 newborns whose mothers were pregnant when exposed to the virus. Two PCR-confirmed perinatal SARS-CoV-2 transmissions with mild symptoms in affected neonates were recorded. In addition, we observed a severe eye malformation (unilateral microphthalmia, optic nerve hypoplasia, and congenital retinopathy) associated with maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection in weeks 5 and 6 of embryonic development. This embryopathy could not be explained by other infectious agents, genetic factors, drug use, or maternal disease during pregnancy. Eight other women with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection prior to gestational week 12, however, delivered healthy infants.Conclusion: The repeated occurrence of mother-to-child transmission in our cohort with risks that remain incompletely understood, such as long-term effects and the possibility of an embryopathy, should sensitize researchers and stimulate further studies as well as support COVID-19 vaccination recommendations for pregnant women. Trial registration number: NCT04741412. Date of registration: November 18, 2020 What is Known:•Materno-fetal transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) during pregnancy has rarely been reported so far, but was demonstrated in isolated cases. What is New:•In a study of complete households with documented SARS-CoV-2 infection, including a cohort of pregnant women, we observed perinatal coronavirus transmission at a higher frequency than expected.•We also describe a newborn boy with an eye malformation reminiscent of rubella embryopathy but associated with early gestation SARS-CoV-2 infection of his mother.•A coronavirus-related embryopathy, reported here for the first time, is a finding that requires further investigation.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. e100741 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele A. Sinunu ◽  
Erik J. Schouten ◽  
Nellie Wadonda-Kabondo ◽  
Enock Kajawo ◽  
Michael Eliya ◽  
...  

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa L. Dillabaugh ◽  
Jayne Lewis Kulzer ◽  
Kevin Owuor ◽  
Valerie Ndege ◽  
Arbogast Oyanga ◽  
...  

Many HIV-positive pregnant women and infants are still not receiving optimal services, preventing the goal of eliminating mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) and improving maternal child health overall. A Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) approach was utilized to address key challenges in delivery of prevention of MTCT (PMTCT) services including highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) uptake for women and infants. The RRI was conducted between April and June 2011 at 119 health facilities in five districts in Nyanza Province, Kenya. Aggregated site-level data were compared at baseline before the RRI (Oct 2010–Jan 2011), during the RRI, and post-RRI (Jul–Sep 2011) using pre-post cohort analysis. HAART uptake amongst all HIV-positive pregnant women increased by 40% (RR 1.4, 95% CI 1.2–1.7) and continued to improve post-RRI (RR 1.6, 95% CI 1.4–1.8). HAART uptake in HIV-positive infants remained stable (RR 1.1, 95% CI 0.9–1.4) during the RRI and improved by 30% (RR 1.3, 95% CI 1.0–1.6) post-RRI. Significant improvement in PMTCT services can be achieved through introduction of an RRI, which appears to lead to sustained benefits for pregnant HIV-infected women and their infants.


2008 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabada Dube ◽  
Marie-Claude Boily ◽  
Owen Mugurungi ◽  
Agnes Mahomva ◽  
Frank Chikhata ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S517-S517
Author(s):  
Jeanette Traver ◽  
Allahna L Esber ◽  
Nicole Dear ◽  
Elizabeth Polston ◽  
Michael Iroezindu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Global reduction in new infant HIV infections is largely due to the expansion of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programs. Identification of gaps in healthcare services is paramount in targeting interventions that identify high-risk populations and healthcare barriers that could lead to increased risk of mother to child transmission (MTCT) of HIV. Methods HIV infected women from 5 regions of Africa enrolled in the African Cohort Study (AFRICOS) were followed prospectively with assessments performed every 6 months. Sociodemographic factors, pregnancy outcomes, and access of PMTCT resources were reviewed for retrospectively reported pregnancies and those followed prospectively from study enrollment. Statistical analysis compared the impact of clinical factors on infant mortality and preterm delivery. Results The study reported 5591 pregnancies from January 2013 to June 2019 of which 5363 were retrospectively reported prior to study enrollment and 228 occurred after enrollment. Pregnancies followed prospectively had higher rates of linkage to PMTCT services prenatally (92.5% vs 6.8%, P< 0.001), intrapartum (64.5% vs 3.5%, P< 0.001), and post-partum (64.5% vs 2.9%, P< 0.001). This group had higher rates of delivery by a skilled birth attendant (93.4% vs 66.7%, P< 0.001) and antiretroviral therapy (ART) prescribed antepartum (96.1% vs 5.5%, P< 0.001) and post-partum (74.6% vs 3.6%, P< 0.001). Both groups had similar rates of prescriptions for intrapartum ART (98.7% vs 97.9%). The majority of women reported ART adherence (96.5%, P< 0.001) which was associated with a decrease in both preterm delivery and infant mortality (adjusted OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.15-0.39). A significant proportion of women followed prospectively reported their infants received ART with good adherence (51.8% vs 0.3% and 93.4% vs 6.3%, respectively P< 0.001). Conclusion Participation in AFRICOS increased linkage to PMTCT programs which resulted in increased likelihood of skilled delivery and appropriate ART use for women and their infants. It highlights that linkage to care continues to be a crucial factor in limiting MTCT of HIV especially in resource-limited settings. Limitations in this study exist due to the low number of prospectively followed pregnancies. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures


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