ABSTRACT
A review of the literature is devoted to the information on the effect of a new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) on the course of pregnancy, the possibility of vertical transmission of the virus from mother to fetus and the condition of the neonates. A review of the literature reveals similarities in the clinical manifestations of COVID-19 in pregnant and non-pregnant women. However, pregnant women are reported to have an increased risk of ICU admission and need for ventilatory support in various countries. Trans-placental transmission from the mother to the fetus has been widely reported. Preterm birth is now common among pregnancy outcomes, especially in women who have had moderate to severe COVID-19. In the assessment of newborns born to mothers with COVID-19, prematurity, hypoxic conditions and respiratory disorders predominated. Further study of the pathogenesis of a new coronavirus infection is necessary to determine factors of possible vertical transmission, the effect on fetal growth and development, the course of pregnancy and labor, and peculiarities of the early neonatal period in infants whose mothers had had this infection in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy. © 2023, Media Sphera Publishing Group. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Objective. To study the prophylactic effectiveness of the intranasal application of VIFERON®, the gel for external and local use (interferon α-2b) 36,000 IU/g, against ARVI in newborns and their mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients and methods. A total of 227 mother–newborn couples were examined, randomized into three groups: Group 1 (n = 63) – the VIFERON® gel was used according to the instructions;Group 2 (n = 50) – the VIFERON® gel was used in violation of the recommended scheme;Group 3 (control, n = 114) – did not use the medication. The main criteria for the effectiveness of prevention were: the incidence of ARVI in a mother–child couple for 3 months after inclusion in the study;the duration and severity of clinical symptoms of the disease;evaluation of the frequency of adverse events associated with the use of the drug under study. Results. The use of the VIFERON® gel led to a decrease in the number of ARVI cases in mothers (11.1 and 14.9%) and newborns (7.9 and 20.2%;p = 0.034) in Group 1 compared with Group 3, respectively, as well as to a significant reduction in the duration of the disease (p = 0.001), a decrease in the severity of clinical symptoms: the level of hyperthermia (p = 0.015), the duration of febrile (p = 0.021), cough (p = 0.032), rhinitis (p = 0.033). There were no statistically significant differences between these indicators in Groups 2 and 3, which requires to follow drug instructions in order to achieve the maximum effect. The timing of onset of diseases in Group 1 in the third month of observation from the beginning of drug administration makes it possible to justify the need for repeated courses of prophylaxis at high risk of respiratory diseases. In 100% of cases, the drug was well tolerated, and there were no adverse effects. Conclusion. The high preventive efficacy and safety of interferon α-2b with antioxidants in the form of gel for external and local use (VIFERON®, gel) in newborns and their mothers against ARVI were proved, which makes it possible to recommend its use to prevent the new coronavirus infection COVID-19 in newborns and confirms the validity of its inclusion in clinical guidelines for the treatment of COVID-19 in children.