Premature baby weighing just 1.3 kg overcomes COVID-19 after 30-day fight

Infection most likely transferred from the mother, say doctors

Picture for representation.

A premature baby, weighing only 1.3 kg at the time of birth, has recovered from the COVID-19 infection after a month-long fight. According to the doctors, the infection was most likely transferred to the baby from the mother.

“The baby who tested positive just after delivery was discharged on Wednesday. While there have been a number of cases when children born to COVID-19 mothers are not positive, in this case we think it was a case of transplacental transfer [infection transferred from the mother],” Sunita Saha, neonatologist at the Fortis Hospital, told The Hindu on Thursday.

The mother had prematurely delivered twins (31 weeks) at a hospital in Salt lake through an emergency C-section. She tested positive for the viral infection. While one baby died, the other tested positive for COVID-19.

Also read: Dr. Rahul Yadav on COVID-19 in neonates and infants

“The baby was transferred to Fortis Hospital, Kolkata. At that stage the baby was having respiratory distress needing oxygen and parenteral nutrition because the baby was not tolerating feed. The baby needed oxygen for almost 20 days,” the doctor said.

The baby was tested on day 9 and day 16 and it was only on the 21st day the baby tested negative. Dr. Saha said after testing negative the baby showed post COVID-19 myocarditis, a disease of heart muscle.

The baby was discharged only after recovering from the condition. “Post COVID mycocarditis is seen in adults but in this case it seems that the child has developed it. We have another child with similar conditions,” the doctor said, adding that the pandemic has presented new aspects of infection in children.