According to a systematic review and meta-analysis published in The BMJ, there was a low likelihood of the COVID-19 infection passing from the mothers to their babies.

The review included 472 studies with more than 14,000 babies born to mothers with COVID-19 infection and only 1.8% tested positive on an RT-PCR test. Among the 592 COVID-positive babies, only 14 were confirmed cases where the infection was transmitted from the mother. Seven babies acquired the infection in utero, two during childbirth, and five contracted the infection in the early postnatal period. The overall risk of transmission from mother to child was low.

The severity of the COVID-19 infection was a key factor determining the transmission. An analysis comprising of 22 studies including nearly 3,000 women, noted that mothers with severe COVID-19 showed more chances of delivering a baby who tested positive (OR 2.36, 95% CI 1.28-4.36). Other risk factors associated with COVID-19 infection in the baby included maternal admission to the intensive care unit, maternal death and postnatal maternal diagnosis of COVID-19.

The analysis also found that SARS-CoV-2 positivity was not associated with trimester of maternal infection, preterm birth, mode of delivery, or separation of mother and baby after birth.

Among 800 COVID-positive babies with data on neonatal outcomes, 20 were stillbirths, and 23 died. (MedPage Today, March 16, 2022)