Khoury L, Pillar G, Shehadeh S. COVID-19 in neonates and infants younger than 6 months - a mild viral illness.
Eur J Pediatr 2023:10.1007/s00431-023-05016-x. [PMID:
37160430 PMCID:
PMC10169195 DOI:
10.1007/s00431-023-05016-x]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
A surge in pediatric COVID-19 cases was observed during the fifth wave (Omicron) of the COVID-19 pandemic. Little is known about the clinical features and disease course in neonates and young infants. To describe the clinical and laboratory features, disease course and complications of COVID-19 in neonates and infants younger than 6 months. A retrospective descriptive study in which data were collected from the electronic medical records of infants younger than 6 months, with positive nasal swab tests for COVID-19. Fifty-two infants younger than 6 months who tested positive for COVID-19 were admitted to our pediatric ER/department during the omicron wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, between December 2021 and December 2022. Twenty-one percent were discharged from the ER, while the others were hospitalized predominantly for observation or supportive treatment, with an average duration of hospitalization of 1.3 ± 0.7 days. No major complications were observed. Conclusion: COVID-19 is a mild viral illness in young healthy infants with no major complications. What is Known: • Pediatric patients generally have a milder clinical presentation of COVID-19 but can also experience more severe symptoms and post-COVID phenomena. • Our knowledge of COVID-19 in neonates and young infants is limited, and guidelines for their diagnosis and management are lacking. What is New: • In neonates and young infants, COVID-19 infection is typically a mild viral illness with no major complications observed in the majority of cases. • Hospitalization may not be necessary for well-appearing infants with COVID-19, as long as their clinical and laboratory evaluations do not raise any concerns.
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