Maternal and neonatal response to COVID-19

Thea N Golden1,2, Rebecca A Simmons1,2,3

  • 1Center for Research on Reproduction and Women's Health, Perelman School of Medicine University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to maternal and newborn health has yet to be determined. Several reports suggest pregnancy does not typically increase the severity of maternal disease; however, cases of preeclampsia and preterm birth have been infrequently reported. Reports of placental infection and vertical transmission are rare. Interestingly, despite lack of SARS-CoV-2 placenta infection, there are several reports of significant abnormalities in placenta morphology. Continued research on pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV-2 and their offspring is vitally important.