COVID-19 during pregnancy and lactation:what do we already know?

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 has rapidly spread worldwide since December 2019. Obviously, pregnant and lactating women will also be infected with SARS-CoV-2. Pregnant women, however, are a risk population for developing severe respiratory infections. Currently, the knowledge on potential risks and consequences of COVID-19 during pregnancy and lactation is limited. Available data show that pregnant women suffer from similar symptoms compared to non-pregnant patients. There is no evidence as yet that COVID-19 has a more serious course during pregnancy. Although pregnant women might suffer from a wide variety of symptoms, most of them are asymptomatic. Maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection might lead to adverse neonatal outcomes, such as prematurity or respiratory symptoms. There is currently no conclusive evidence of absence of intrauterine transmission of the virus; the virus has not been detected in breastmilk in most studies, although passage into breastmilk cannot be completely excluded.</p