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Born into an Isolating World: Family-Centred Care for Babies Born to Mothers with COVID-19 the Epicentre Multinational Cohort Study
36 Pages Posted: 3 Oct 2022
More...Abstract
Background: The benefits of family-centred care (FCC) in the perinatal period for both mothers and babies are well-established. The aim of this study was to determine how the delivery of FCC practices were impacted for neonates born to mothers with perinatal SARS-CoV-2 infection during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: Neonates born to mothers with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy were identified from the ‘EsPnIC Covid paEdiatric NeonaTal REgistry’ (EPICENTRE) multinational cohort between 10 March 2020 and 20 October 2021. The EPICENTRE cohort collected prospective data on FCC practices. Rooming-in and breastmilk feeding practice were the main outcomes, and factors influencing each were determined. Other outcomes included mother-baby physical contact prior to separation and the pattern of FCC components relative to time and local site guidelines.
Findings: 692 mother-baby dyads (13 sites, 10 countries) were analysed. 27 (5%) neonates were positive for SARS-CoV-2 (14 (52%) asymptomatic). Most sites had policies that encouraged FCC during perinatal SARS-CoV-2 infection for most of the reporting period. 311 (46%) neonates roomed-in with their mother during the admission. Rooming-in increased over time from 23% in Spring 2020 to 74% in Winter 2020/21. 330 (93%) of the 369 separated neonates had no FCC physical contact with their mother prior, and 319 (86%) were asymptomatic. Maternal breastmilk was used for feeding in 354 (53%) neonates, increasing from 23% to 70% between Spring 2020 and Winter 2020/21. FCC was most impacted when mothers had symptomatic COVID-19 at birth.
Interpretation: This is the largest report of global FCC practice during the COVID-19 pandemic to date. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted FCC despite low perinatal transmission rates. Fortunately, clinicians appear to have adapted to allow more FCC delivery as the COVID-19 pandemic progressed.
Funding: This project is supported by the Victorian Government Operational Infrastructure
Support Program (Melbourne, Australia). DGT is supported by a National Health and Medical
Research Council (Australia) Investigator (Grant ID 2008212)
Declaration of Interest: : The other authors have no competing interests to declare.
Ethical Approval: The study was approved by the Human Research and Ethics Committee of the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia on 11 May 2020 (HREC 64264) in accordance with National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines and is reported as per STROBE guidelines.
Keywords: breastfeeding, breastmilk, COVID-19, family-centred care, mother-baby contact, pandemic, perinatal care, rooming-in, SARS-CoV-2, skin-to-skin care
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation