This archive report was first published on 9 July 2020.
Published on July 9, 2020, a study from Italy shed light on the transmission of coronavirus from a pregnant woman to her fetus.
Researchers at the University of Milan, led by Claudio Fenizia, studied 31 women infected with Covid-19 in late pregnancy during the height of the pandemic in Italy.
The team thoroughly tested the women, their babies, the placenta, the umbilical cord, the mother's vaginal fluids, and breast milk. Two newborns tested positive for the virus at birth.
According to Fenizia, the study's findings suggest that vertical transmission of the virus occurred in two cases out of the 31 studied.
The researchers discovered the virus in an at-term placenta, the umbilical cord blood, the vagina of a pregnant woman, and breast milk.
Notably, the placentas were inflamed, indicating infection, and the umbilical cord blood of one newborn contained antibodies indicating a recent infection.
Fortunately, the women were infected late in pregnancy, reducing the likelihood of the virus affecting the babies' development.
