The management of newborns of mothers who are COVID-19 positive in a "COVID-free" hospital in Italy

The strategies planned by the Italian Ministry of Health to manage the COVID-19 pandemic include the centralisation of positive subjects in specific centres (Hubs) as well keeping others "COVID free". However due to the large number of positive subjects, the beds available have sometimes been inadequate. All pregnant women, at admission to the hospital, are screened and, if positive, sent to an Hub, but in the case of known positivity after birth, without bed availability, we structured a plan to complete the hospitalisation in our department of asymptomatic mothers with negative newborns. From October to December 2020, eleven babies were born to mothers who tested COVID-19-positive after delivery. Seven of them completed hospitalisation in our department. No complications in mother-baby dyads and no contagion among hospital staff were found. This strategy, even in a limited number of cases, allowed the management without complications for both patients and healthcare professionals.