FEATURES OF PERIPHERAL BLOOD IN PREMATURE INFANTS BORN TO MOTHERS WHO HAD COVID-19 OF VARIOUS SEVERITY

Abstract

Most literature devoted to analyzing the course of novel coronavirus infection in pregnant women, women in labor, and newborns has assessed the somatic status and morphofunctional characteristics of children born to women with a positive COVID-19 PCR test at delivery. Given the hypercoagulability observed in COVID-19 patients, perinatal complications in children are likely due to impaired fetoplacental perfusion and/or possible thrombotic changes in the mother, vasculopathy, decreased placental barrier function, and inflammatory changes in the placenta. Some international authors have suggested that virus-induced placental changes lead to chronic and acute fetal hypoxia and premature delivery, which contributes to the severe condition of children at birth. The purpose of the study. To study the features of changes in the peripheral blood in dynamics in newborns born to mothers who had COVID-19 of varying severity. Materials and methods. 70 premature infants were examined: the 1st main group consisted of 40 children born to mothers who had COVID-19 of varying severity during pregnancy, the 2nd - comparison group consisted of 30 premature infants whose mothers did not have this infection. Clinical, laboratory and statistical studies were conducted. Results. Significant changes were detected in premature infants born to mothers who had coronavirus infection. These newborns had low hemoglobin levels and red blood cell counts, which continued to decrease dynamically and had the lowest values by the end of the 2nd-3rd week of life, especially in children born to mothers who had severe coronavirus infection. Children in the main group had higher platelet counts, especially in newborns born to women who had severe COVID-19 during pregnancy.