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Eur J Pediatr
. 2023 Nov 16.
doi: 10.1007/s00431-023-05329-x. Online ahead of print. COVID-19 in hospitalized infants aged under 3 months: multi-center experiences across Turkey
Gülnihan Üstündağ 1 , Eda Karadag-Oncel 2 , Nursel Kara-Ulu 3 , Meltem Polat 3 , Enes Salı 4 , Deniz Çakır 4 , Aslıhan Şahin 1 , Aybüke Akaslan-Kara 5 , Pelin Kaçar 5 , Aylin Dizi Işık 6 , Pınar Canizci Erdemli 6 , Sevgi Yaşar Durmuş 7 , Ahmet Özdemir 8 , Binnaz Çelik 9 , Murat Sütçü 10 , Manolya Kara 10 11 , Tuğba Kandemir-Gülmez 12 , Aydın Çelikyurt 13 , Zühal Ümit 14 , Hacer Aktürk 15 , Kamile Arıkan 16 , Özge Kaba 17 , Canan Caymaz 17 , Cihangül Bayhan 18 , Deniz Aygün 19 , Döndü Nilay Penezoğlu 20 , Şilem Özdem Alataş 21 , Halil Özdemir 20 , Özden Türel 22 , Mehtap Akça 23 , Emel Çelebi-Çongur 24 , Eda Kepenekli 6 , Ümit Çelik 12 , İsmail Zafer Ecevit 18 , Nurşen Belet 21 , Nazan Dalgıç 24 , Nisel Yılmaz 25 , Dilek Yılmaz 1 26 , Necdet Kuyucu 23 , Ergin Çiftçi 20
Affiliations
To investigate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in infants aged 0 to 3 months because there is currently a significant gap in the literature on the subject. A cross-sectional study was conducted with the involvement of 19 medical centers across Turkey and 570 infants. The majority of the patients were male (58.2%), and the three most common symptoms were fever (78.2%), cough (44.6%), and feeding intolerance (39.9%). The results showed that a small percentage of infants had positive blood (0.9%) or urine cultures (10.2%). Most infants presented with fever (78.2%). Children without underlying conditions (UCs) had mostly a complicated respiratory course and a normal chest radiography. Significant more positive urine culture rates were observed in infants with fever. A higher incidence of respiratory support requirements and abnormal chest findings were seen in infants with chronic conditions. These infants also had a longer hospital stay than those without chronic conditions. Conclusions: Our study discloses the clinical observations and accompanying bacterial infections found in infants aged under 3 months with COVID-19. These findings can shed light on COVID-19 in infancy for physicians because there is limited clinical evidence available. What is Known: • COVID-19 in infants and older children has been seen more mildly than in adults. • The most common symptoms of COVID-19 in infants are fever and cough, as in older children and adults. COVID-19 should be one of the differential diagnoses in infants with fever. What is New: • Although most infants under three months had fever, the clinical course was uneventful and respiratory complications were rarely observed in healthy children. • Infants with underlying conditions had more frequent respiratory support and abnormal chest radiography and stayed longer in the hospital.
Keywords: Breastfeeding; COVID-19; Children; Clinical presentation; Infants; Neonates.
. 2023 Nov 16.
doi: 10.1007/s00431-023-05329-x. Online ahead of print. COVID-19 in hospitalized infants aged under 3 months: multi-center experiences across Turkey
Gülnihan Üstündağ 1 , Eda Karadag-Oncel 2 , Nursel Kara-Ulu 3 , Meltem Polat 3 , Enes Salı 4 , Deniz Çakır 4 , Aslıhan Şahin 1 , Aybüke Akaslan-Kara 5 , Pelin Kaçar 5 , Aylin Dizi Işık 6 , Pınar Canizci Erdemli 6 , Sevgi Yaşar Durmuş 7 , Ahmet Özdemir 8 , Binnaz Çelik 9 , Murat Sütçü 10 , Manolya Kara 10 11 , Tuğba Kandemir-Gülmez 12 , Aydın Çelikyurt 13 , Zühal Ümit 14 , Hacer Aktürk 15 , Kamile Arıkan 16 , Özge Kaba 17 , Canan Caymaz 17 , Cihangül Bayhan 18 , Deniz Aygün 19 , Döndü Nilay Penezoğlu 20 , Şilem Özdem Alataş 21 , Halil Özdemir 20 , Özden Türel 22 , Mehtap Akça 23 , Emel Çelebi-Çongur 24 , Eda Kepenekli 6 , Ümit Çelik 12 , İsmail Zafer Ecevit 18 , Nurşen Belet 21 , Nazan Dalgıç 24 , Nisel Yılmaz 25 , Dilek Yılmaz 1 26 , Necdet Kuyucu 23 , Ergin Çiftçi 20
Affiliations
- PMID: 37971516
- DOI: 10.1007/s00431-023-05329-x
To investigate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in infants aged 0 to 3 months because there is currently a significant gap in the literature on the subject. A cross-sectional study was conducted with the involvement of 19 medical centers across Turkey and 570 infants. The majority of the patients were male (58.2%), and the three most common symptoms were fever (78.2%), cough (44.6%), and feeding intolerance (39.9%). The results showed that a small percentage of infants had positive blood (0.9%) or urine cultures (10.2%). Most infants presented with fever (78.2%). Children without underlying conditions (UCs) had mostly a complicated respiratory course and a normal chest radiography. Significant more positive urine culture rates were observed in infants with fever. A higher incidence of respiratory support requirements and abnormal chest findings were seen in infants with chronic conditions. These infants also had a longer hospital stay than those without chronic conditions. Conclusions: Our study discloses the clinical observations and accompanying bacterial infections found in infants aged under 3 months with COVID-19. These findings can shed light on COVID-19 in infancy for physicians because there is limited clinical evidence available. What is Known: • COVID-19 in infants and older children has been seen more mildly than in adults. • The most common symptoms of COVID-19 in infants are fever and cough, as in older children and adults. COVID-19 should be one of the differential diagnoses in infants with fever. What is New: • Although most infants under three months had fever, the clinical course was uneventful and respiratory complications were rarely observed in healthy children. • Infants with underlying conditions had more frequent respiratory support and abnormal chest radiography and stayed longer in the hospital.
Keywords: Breastfeeding; COVID-19; Children; Clinical presentation; Infants; Neonates.