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. 2020 Nov;84(5):e13306.
doi: 10.1111/aji.13306. Epub 2020 Aug 15.

COVID-19 in pregnancy: Placental and neonatal involvement

Erica Prochaska  1   2 , Minyoung Jang  1 , Irina Burd  1
Affiliations

COVID-19 in pregnancy: Placental and neonatal involvement

Erica Prochaska et al. Am J Reprod Immunol. 2020 Nov.

Abstract

Since December 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused over 12 million infections and more than 550 000 deaths.1 Morbidity and mortality appear partly due to host inflammatory response.2 Despite rapid, global research, the effect of SARS-CoV-2 on the developing fetus remains unclear. Case reports indicate that vertical transmission is uncommon; however, there is evidence that placental and fetal infection can occur.3-7 Placentas from infected patients show inflammatory, thrombotic, and vascular changes that have been found in other inflammatory conditions.8,9 This suggests that the inflammatory nature of SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy could cause adverse obstetric and neonatal events. Exposure to intrauterine inflammation and placental changes could also potentially result in long-term, multisystemic defects in exposed infants. This review will summarize the known literature on the placenta in SARS-CoV-2 infection, evidence of vertical transmission, and possible outcomes of prenatal exposure to the virus.

Keywords: COVID-19; intrauterine infection; neonates; pathology; placenta; pregnancy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no potential conflicts of interest.

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