Reflections on How to Maintain and Improve Perinatal Care in the Midst of the COVID 19 Pandemic: Let’s not Forget Mothers and Newborn Babies!

Background: The current COVID-19 pandemic has become the most serious public health problem in the world. To respond to COVID-19 pandemia, many countries are using a combination of containment and mitigation activities, with solidarity efforts and resources and funds devoted to its prevention and intensive treatment. To date (April 6, 2020) there are about 1,360,000 confirmed cases and there have been 75,700 deaths reported in 205 countries. However, no serious harm has been reported in infants born to mothers with SARS-CoV-2. Current data suggest that vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is at least uncommon. On the other hand, in many nations overall neonatal mortality rates remain high despite the fact that more than 50% of the neonatal deaths are reducible. Objective: Analyze overall population mortality rates in the USA, China and in the 7 Latin American countries with the highest number of births to subsequently compare such data to: a) the mortality