Research Information System
European Journal Of Pediatrics, vol.21, pp.1-4, 2022 (SCI-Expanded)
environmentally infected neonates. To fill knowledge gaps on the course and prognosis of neonatal cases, we analyzed
1-year data from the Turkish Neonatal Society in this prospective cohort study of neonates with postnatal transmission.
Data from 44 neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), of neonates with positive RT-PCR results at days 5–28 of life, were
extracted from the online registry system and analyzed. Of 176 cases, most were term infants with normal birth weight.
Fever was the most common symptom (64.2%), followed by feeding intolerance (25.6%), and cough (21.6%). The median
length of hospitalization was 9 days, with approximately one quarter of infants receiving some type of ventilatory support.
Myocarditis (5.7%) was the most common complication during follow-up. Among the clinical findings, cough (odds ratio
[OR]: 9.52, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.17–21.71), tachypnea (OR: 26.5, 95% CI: 9.59–73.19), and chest retractions
(OR: 27.5, 95% CI: 5.96–126.96) were associated with more severe clinical disease. Also, there were significant differences
in the C-reactive protein level, prothrombin time (PT), partial thromboplastin time, international normalized ratio, and days
in the NICU (p = 0.002, p = 0.012, p = 0.034, p = 0.008, and p < 0.001, respectively) between patients with mild-moderate
and severe-critical presentations. A PT above 14 s was a significant predictor of severe/critical cases, with a sensitivity of
64% and specificity of 73%.
Conclusions: Our data showed that late-onset COVID-19 infection in neonates who need hospitalization can be severe,
showing associations with high rates of ventilatory support and myocarditis. Cough, tachypnea, and retractions on admission
suggest a severe disease course.
Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04401540.
Acknowledgements Neo-Covid Study Group: Eren Yildiz, Nuriye Aslı
Melekoglu, Emel Okulu, Handan Hakyemez Toptan, Ozge Surmeli,
Emrah Can, Fatma Hilal Yilmaz, Hilal Ozkan, Ibrahim Caner, Serdar
Comert, Saime Sundus Uygun, Sinem Akbay, Asli Memisoglu, Ayse
Anik, Baran Cengiz Arcagok, Belma Saygili Karagol, Mehmet Ates,
Muhammet Bulut, Mustafa Ali Akin, Nihat Demir, Ramazan Ozdemir,
Sema Arayici, Sebnem Kader, Adil Umut Zubarioglu, Ahmet Oktem, Ali
Bulbul, Berna Hekimoglu, Emel Ataoglu, Demet Orhan Baser, Emine
Esin Yalinbas, Ebru Yalin Imamoglu, Ferda Ozlu, Leyla Bilgin, Melike
Kefeli, Meltem Koyuncu Arslan, Selahattin Akar, Handan Bezirganoglu,
Senol Bozdag, Resat Gurpinar, Nukhet Aladag Ciftdemir, Ozmert MA
Ozdemir