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Updated: Jan 10, 2026

Human Placental and Decidual Organ Cultures to Study Infections at the Maternal-fetal Interface
Published on: July 21, 2016
Presence of SARS-CoV-2 in fetal organs via intraamniotic infection
Shengnan Wu1, Linchen Tang1,2, Zeying Liu1
1Department of Integrated TCM-WM, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Shanghai Institute of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Gynecologic Oncology, Clinical and Translational Research Center, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
Abstract:
The COVID-19 pandemic underlined the need to focus on women's health, particularly during pregnancy. Recent studies have shown that maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy may increase obstetrical risks. However, intraamniotic SARS-CoV-2 infection has been understudied. Here, we conduct inclusive autopsies on 18 fetuses following maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection to determine whether and which fetal organs can be infected by SARS-CoV-2 in utero. We analyze a total of 538 samples from 32 tissue types to comprehensively map and quantify the distribution and replication patterns of SARS-CoV-2 across fetal organs. Our observations reveal that SARS-CoV-2 can be widely distributed in fetal organs through vertical transmission. As the length of time from SARS-CoV-2 infection to termination of pregnancy increases, the prevalence of infection in fetal organs decrease. Further, proteomic profiling reveals DNA damage and immune imbalance in infected organs.
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