Only 1 of 62 newborns who breastfed and roomed with their 61 COVID-19–infected mothers in Lombardy, Italy, was diagnosed as having the novel coronavirus, suggesting that mother-to-infant transmission is rare, according to a study published today in JAMA Pediatrics.From Mar 19 to May 2, the prospective, six-center study monitored the infant and mother pairs for 20 days after birth.
The one infected newborn was taken to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) after 5 days, when the mother developed bilateral pneumonia and pulmonary embolism requiring mechanical ventilation for 14 days.
Two days after arrival in the NICU, the infant tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and had periodic, mild shortness of breath for a