Enterovirus and parechovirus meningoencephalitis in infants: A ten-year prospective observational study in a neonatal intensive care unit.

Background: Non-polio enteroviruses (EV) and human parechoviruses (HPeV) are known etiological agents of meningoencephalitis in neonates. However, reports of neuroradiological findings and neurodevelopmental outcomes in this population are scarce.

Objectives: to describe clinical characteristics, neuroradiological findings and, in a subset of patients, neurodevelopmental outcomes in a cohort of infants with EV or HPeV meningoencephalitis within 60 days of life.

SARS-CoV-2 perinatal transmission and neonatal outcomes across four different waves of COVID-19 pandemic: A nationwide prospective cohort study from the Italian Society of Neonatology.

Objectives: To describe how SARS-CoV-2 infection at the time of delivery affected maternal and neonatal outcomes across four major waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy.

Methods: This is a large, prospective, nationwide cohort study collecting maternal and neonatal data in case of maternal peripartum SARS-CoV-2 infection between February 2020 and March 2022. Data were stratified across the four observed pandemic waves.

Early Postnatal Infection of Neonates Born to Mothers Infected by SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant.

Objectives: To evaluate the rate of postnatal infection during the first month of life in neonates born to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-positive mothers during the predominant circulation of the omicron (B.1.1.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: A Review of Evidence and Current Recommendations in Europe, North America, and Australasia.

In the late 2020s, less than 1 year into the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, several anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines were introduced on a worldwide scale, with a significant positive impact on the consequences of the disease for several high-risk population groups. In the case of most bacterial or viral respiratory infections, pregnant women are at increased risk of complications, however, neither pregnant nor breastfeeding women were included in the first round of randomized clinical trials evaluating the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, because of safety and ethical concerns. Nevertheless, most anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccines have not been expressly contraindicated during pregnancy or breastfeeding, and observational data on immune response, adverse effects, and clinical efficacy in pregnant and breastfeeding women have been progressively gathered during 2021.

SARS-CoV-2 infection and neonates: Evidence-based data after 18 months of the pandemic.

After 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, data concerning SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant women and their neonates are progressively taking the place of complete uncertainty. Here, we summarize updated evidence regarding several critical aspects of perinatal SARS-CoV-2 infection, including 1) vertical transmission of the virus in utero, which is possible but seems rare according to current epidemiological data; 2) how COVID-19 during pregnancy can shape maternal and neonatal outcomes, either directly or indirectly; 3) how recommendations regarding the management of infected dyads have been progressively modified in light of new scientific evidence; and 4) how maternal infection or vaccination can induce the passive protection of fetuses and neonates against the infection, through the transfer of specific antibodies before and after birth.

SARS-CoV-2 infection and neonates: a review of evidence and unresolved questions.

SARS-CoV-2 infection in the neonatal period poses previously unmet challenges to obstetricians and neonatologists, but several key questions are yet to be answered. Few cases of presumed in utero vertical transmission of the virus from infected mothers to fetuses have been reported, but stronger evidence is needed, from larger datasets with multiple biospecimens rigorously analyzed. Whether acquired before or after birth, SARS-CoV-2 infection in neonates can be symptomatic, but our comprehension of neonatal immune response and the subsequent clinical characteristics of COVID-19 in early life are incomplete.