Babies during Covid-19
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared, in March 2020, the disease of COVID-19 as a Pandemic and advised countries to implement preventive measures such as social confinement and quarantine. There were changes in prenatal care protocols, at birth and in the postpartum period. Several maternity hospitals and hospitals-imposed restrictions on the monitoring of women, namely by partners in the delivery rooms, and imposed restrictions on visits. In the case of women infected with SARS-CoV-2, mothers and newborns were in many cases separated by several weeks, and the long-term impact on the baby’s development is still unknown.
This project intends to prospectively explore the impact of COVID-19 on the developmental trajectories of babies during the first year of life, particularly evaluating the impact of early experiences, namely the deprivation of affective touch. For that purpose, infants, at 6 and 12 months of age, from two distinct groups are being longitudinally evaluated: a group of infants whose mothers tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 during delivery, and a comparison group of infants whose mothers tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 during delivery.
Ana Mesquita | UMinho
Adriana Sampaio | UMinho
Angel Carracedo | Fundación Pública Galega de Medicina Xenómica
Henrique Soares | Neonatology Service, University Hospital Center of São João
Isabel Soares | UMinho
Joana Antunes | UMinho
Marlene Sousa | ProChild CoLAB
Sara Almeida Girão | Neonatology Service, University Hospital Center of São João
Susana Pissarra | Neonatology Service, University Hospital Center of São João