CHENNAI: In a rare case of transmission of Covid-19 from a mother to her foetus, a male baby at the Dr Mehta’s Hospitals recently tested positive with around 90 per cent lung infection. Covid-19 is usually transmitted through aerosols and droplets, and only a few cases of in-utero transmission have been reported globally.
The baby was hospitalised with breathing difficulty within two hours of his birth on May 24. “He was on invasive ventilation for five days and non-invasive ventilation for three days. We administered steroids and blood thinners, and he was discharged on June 4 after being monitored in room air for three days,” said Dr B Arun Krishnan, consultant neonatalogist, Dr Mehta’s Hospitals.
The baby’s mother tested negative for Covid-19, so the doctors didn’t suspect the baby was infected. But a blood test showed his white blood cell count and other inflammatory markers were high. “So we did an RT-PCR test for Covid-19, and the result was positive. We then tested the mother for antibodies, and she had them. She could have been infected and recovered, and the baby could have got it from her. The baby had IGM antibodies, indicating a fresh infection,” said Dr Arun, adding that they are planning to publish the case in a medical journal.
“Last year, we had 6-10 babies who tested positive. They were cases of in-utero transmission, but they were all asymptomatic. This year, we had another baby, also with 90 per cent lung involvement, but the baby didn’t make it,” said Dr Arun.
Meanwhile, the Government Hospital for Women and Children, Egmore did a study to see if in-utero transmission was possible, and concluded that it is rare. “We studied over 700 cases. Most babies tested positive days after birth... Only one or two tested positive on the day of birth. But these could also be false positives,” said Dr S Vijaya, director of Government Hospital for Women and Children, Egmore.