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Cimolai N. COVID-19 among infants: key clinical features and remaining controversies. Clin Exp Pediatr 2024; 67:1-16. [PMID: 38013408 PMCID: PMC10764668 DOI: 10.3345/cep.2023.00794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Infants aged <1 year represent a seemingly more susceptible pediatric subset for infections. Despite this, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection has not been proven as more serious in this age group (outside the very early neonatal period) than in others. Indeed, a considerable number of asymptomatic infections have been recorded, and the symptoms and morbidity associated with COVID- 19 differ minimally from those of other respiratory viral infections. Whether due to an abundance of caution or truly reduced susceptibility, infections in infants have not raised the same profile as those in other age groups. In addition to direct severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 diagnostic tests, laboratory markers that differentiate COVID-19 from other viral infections lack specificity in infants. Gastrointestinal presentations are common, and the neurological complications of infection mirror those of other respiratory viral infections. There have been relatively few reports of infant deaths. Under appropriate precautions, breastfeeding in the context of maternal infections has been associated with tangible but infrequent complications. Vaccination during pregnancy provides protection against infection in infants, at least in the early months of life. Multi-inflammatory syndrome in children and multi-inflammatory syndrome in neonates are commonly cited as variants of COVID-19; however, their clinical definitions remain controversial. Similarly, reliable definitions of long COVID in the infant group are controversial. This narrative review examines the key clinical and laboratory features of COVID-19 in infants and identifies several areas of science awaiting further clarification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nevio Cimolai
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia and Children’s and Women’s Health Centre of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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Wu J, Cao B, Liao J, Li Y, Lu G, Gong F, Lin G, Zhao M. Navigation of Knowledge: the Impact of COVID-19 on Pregnancy-a Bibliometric Analysis. Reprod Sci 2023; 30:3548-3562. [PMID: 37488404 DOI: 10.1007/s43032-023-01312-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, countries around the world have faced huge economic and social burdens. SARS-COV-2 may exist in nature for a long time due to the diversity of its different variants. Pregnant women and newborns as vulnerable groups will suffer serious health threats. Bibliometrics as a method of summarizing publications can be used to extract important achievements and hot topics in this field. We search the target publications from the Web of Science Core collection database, and then use Microsoft Office Excel, CiteSpace, R, Scimago, and VOSviewer for visual analysis. Finally, we included 1709 publications from 2998 institutions in 104 countries. The number of publications has exploded since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019. Among them, the USA, China, Britain, and Italy have higher quantity and quality. We identified important journals, authors, keywords, and references in this field. Anxiety, stress, risk of pregnancy complications, and vaccine safety and acceptance have received extensive attention from scholars during the COVID-19 pandemic and will continue to be urgent issues to be addressed in the future. Most of the current studies fall into the category of case reports and clinical data analysis. COVID-19 has been linked to serious pregnancy complications and mental illness, and vaccination during pregnancy is recommended to protect both mother and fetus. Further large-scale cohort studies and discovery of molecular mechanisms are needed in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingrouzi Wu
- Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Buzi Cao
- Hunan Normal University School of Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jingnan Liao
- Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yuan Li
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Guangxiu Lu
- Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Fei Gong
- Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Ge Lin
- Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha, Hunan, China.
| | - Mingyi Zhao
- Pediatric Department of the 3rd Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
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Tong VT, Woodworth KR, Blau E, Shinde N, Akosa A, Gilboa SM, Meaney-Delman D. Population-Based Linked Longitudinal Surveillance of Pregnant People and Their Infants: A Critical Resource for Emerging, Re-Emerging, and Persistent Threats. J Womens Health (Larchmt) 2023; 32:1-9. [PMID: 36454196 PMCID: PMC9940319 DOI: 10.1089/jwh.2022.0419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Public health emergencies, from Zika to COVID-19, have underscored the importance of addressing the needs of pregnant people and their infants. Recent events have underlined the critical role of mother-infant-linked longitudinal surveillance to characterize and assess the impacts of emerging, re-emerging, and persistent threats, including infectious diseases, on these populations. In partnership with state, local, and territorial health departments, CDC's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities activated the Surveillance for Emerging Threats to Mothers and Babies Network (SET-NET) to capture information about pregnant people with laboratory-confirmed infection with SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) and their infants. SET-NET data were critical in recognizing the severe risks of COVID-19 during pregnancy, which ultimately informed clinical decisions and public health policy, specifically vaccine prioritization at the local, state, and national levels. This commentary describes the activation of SET-NET to monitor COVID-19 in pregnancy and highlights the experiences of health departments. We provide examples of how SET-NET findings informed COVID-19 prevention efforts and public health policy. Lastly, we identify opportunities to improve and advance surveillance efforts to protect the health of pregnant people and their infants in the United States from current and future threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Van T Tong
- Division of Birth Defects and Infant Disorders, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Kate R Woodworth
- Division of Birth Defects and Infant Disorders, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Erin Blau
- Division of Birth Defects and Infant Disorders, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Neha Shinde
- Eagle Global Scientific, LLC, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Amanda Akosa
- Eagle Global Scientific, LLC, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Suzanne M Gilboa
- Division of Birth Defects and Infant Disorders, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Dana Meaney-Delman
- Division of Birth Defects and Infant Disorders, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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