Babies born with COVID-19 antibodies lose them within months

Babies born with antibodies to the coronavirus received by the placenta after their mother’s infection lose them within a few months, usually before six months, according to a study presented at the 2nd National COVID-19 Congress which, from today until April 16, analyzes the main scientific and medical knowledge on this disease after more than a year of pandemic.

In this study, carried out by the Gregorio Marañón and Infanta Sofía hospitals, in Madrid, and by the Reina Sofía de Tudela, in Navarre, points out that transfer of antibodies to newborns across the placenta “was very common in mothers with COVID-19”, while cases of neonatal infection were rare and only occurred in children of severely infected mothers without antibodies during childbirth.

It was one of the studies presented at the congress organized by 80 scientific societies to promote a better common knowledge of the pandemic, from a multidisciplinary exchange of experiences and knowledge and with the Spanish Society of Respiratory Pathology (SEPAR) as the promoter of this event it is celebrated seven months after the first.

For the study, women infected with SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy or childbirth (GESNEO cohort) who gave birth between March and November 2020 were included. Epidemiological, clinical and microbiological information has been gathered from mothers and their children, determining the IgG antibodies against the coronavirus, which are generated after the active infection is overcome.

Pregnant women were classified into three groups based on their COVID-19 status at childbirth: acute (PCR positive, IgG negative), recent (PCR positive and IgG) and past (PCR negative) infection. , with documented infection during pregnancy).

In total, for the research, a group of 141 women with SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy or childbirth were selected, determining IgG antibodies against the coronavirus, which are generated once the active infection overcome.

34% of all women had an acute infection (PCR positive and IgG negative. That is to say an active disease but still without having generated antibodies). In this group, no newborns were IgG positive in the umbilical cord blood. At two months, 42.8% of mothers and 11.5% of children were IgG positive, while At six months, 33.3% were mothers and no children.

30.5% had a recent infection (PCR positive and IgG positive, i.e. disease in progress and already beginning of antibody production): In this group, 90.9% of newborns had IgG positive in umbilical cord blood. At two months, 95.8% of mothers and 57.1% of children were IgG positive, and at six months, 83.3% of mothers and no children.

35.5% had a previous infection (negative PCR with documented infection during pregnancy and positive IgG): 80% of mothers and 84.8% of newborns had positive IgG at delivery. At two months, 82.3% of mothers and 64.7% of children; Yes at six months, 57.1% of mothers and 14.3% of children.

Positive IgGs in umbilical cord blood were more common in newborns whose mothers were symptomatic (75.8% vs. 51.1%) or were admitted for COVID-19 (90% vs. 57.6%).

Este encuentro científico online cuenta con 380 ponencias en casi 90 sesiones en las que se approachan asuntos como la puesta al día de los factores pronósticos, la seguridad de las vacunas, la evidencia científica sobre la transmissión o los nuevos modelos asistenciales generados por la pandemia, among others.

In mid-March, the world’s first case of a baby born with COVID-19 antibodies after his mother’s vaccination was reported in the United States.

He was a Florida health worker who received Moderna’s first dose of vaccine three weeks before his daughter was born. Umbilical cord scan showed girl was born with COVID-19 antibodies, according to what pediatricians Paul Gilbert and Chad Rudnick told WBPF television station in Palm Beach (southeastern United States), who will publish an article on the case in the medical journal MedRxiv.

With information from Efe

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