Background:

Recent research indicates that human-to-human contact is the primary mode of transmission for SARS-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the disease-causing agent of COVID-19. However, information on the vertical spread of COVID-19 among newborns is scarce and contradictory. The study aims to assess the association between delivery methods and the risk of vertical transmission of COVID-19 to newborns.

Methods:

This was a retrospective cohort study conducted at Misr El Gedida Military Hospital and El Obour Specialized Hospital of Ain Shams University on 100 pregnant women with confirmed COVID-19 infection, divided into two groups: Group A: those who delivered vaginally (n = 15); and Group B: those who delivered by cesarean section (n = 85) in the period between March 2020 and March 2022.

Results:

Pregnancy outcomes did not vary significantly (P-value > 0.05) between groups A and B. There was no significant difference between both groups in stillbirth rate, viral status, APGAR score, or ‎newborn weight (p-value > 0.05). In addition, there was no significant difference (p-value > 0.05) between ‎groups A and B in the rates of admission to the NICU‎.

Conclusion:

There was no association between the mode of delivery (vaginal vs. cesarean) and the rates of COVID-19 infection in newborns or neonatal mortality. These results do not lend credence to the idea that cesarean sections prevent the vertical transmission of COVID-19 from pregnant women to their newborn babies more effectively than vaginal births.