CHENNAI: A baby delivered by C-section was admitted to Dr Mehta’s Hospitals, Velapanchavadi, within two hours of his birth with respiratory distress. The baby boy tested positive for the SARS COV-2 and it is a very rare incident of transplacental SARS COV-2 infection with the fetal hyper-inflammatory syndrome. The baby got infected by the mother in utero, but the mother was unaware of her infection as she was asymptomatic.
A CT chest scan revealed 80-90% lung damage. Dr Arun Krishnan B, consultant, Neonatologist, Dr. Mehta’s Hospitals, treated the newborn baby, and started him on non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (CPAP). He received two doses of surfactant at 2 hours and 8 minutes of life. The baby was on mechanical ventilation for five days and then, for about three days, in a high flow nasal cannula.
The baby was then observed for three days in room air with full oral feeds. The baby had few episodes of intermittent tachycardia which was evaluated and concluded as inappropriate sinus tachycardia post-Covid hyper-inflammatory syndrome. He recovered and was discharged home after 11 days of hospitalisation with oral steroids and blood thinners.