Current best evidence for clinical care (more info)
OBJECTIVE: to identify with the literature the measures to prevent and control neonatal infection by COVID-19.
METHODS: a scope review carried out by searching for studies in databases and institutional health websites. The final sample was 25 articles.
RESULTS: among the main measures are the use of masks by suspected or infected people in contact with healthy newborns, hand hygiene before and after each care and feeding as well as the tools used for milking. It is indispensable to use personal protective equipment by health professionals in neonatology services to maintain a private room for infected newborns or to use physical barriers. Early diagnosis and timely case management is essential to reduce virus transmissibility.
CONCLUSIONS: the research contributed to elucidate health and nursing actions in preventing and controlling neonatal infection by COVID-19.
| Discipline / Specialty Area | Score |
|---|---|
| Pediatric Neonatology | |
| Obstetrics | |
| Pediatric Hospital Medicine | |
| Infectious Disease | |
The review is relevant to infection prevention and control, but less directly so to infectious disease providers.
To be comprehensive, a systematic review must include grey literature. In the study subject, there is possibly more grey literature than literature published in indexed journals. This was not considered in this review (See Data Source), despite the COVID topic being easier to access. Obviously, such literature has to be subjected to the rigors of a quality assessment. In a regular systematic review, one of the main criteria for exclusion are opinion articles and editorials. This cannot be the source for giving recommendations for an intervention. In this review, the vast majority of included articles are from editorials, opinions, and expert consensus. These sources are not part of the information that would be considered in a guide that applies the GRADE methodology. Extreme caution should be taken with the recommendations provided by this review. In a times of crisis, the methodologic rigor of research should not be relaxed.
I found presented article of great importance for managing neonates born to mothers with suspected or confirmed novel coronavirus. This study contributes to the body of knowledge of nurses and health professionals regarding the main measures for preventing and controlling neonatal infection by COVID19. Among the main measures found, the use of surgical masks by infected people in contact with healthy newborns stands out. Hand hygiene before and after each care and each feeding, and hygiene of the tools used in milking the breasts are essential care to be developed in partnership with families. It is indispensable to use personal protective equipment by health professionals in obstetrics, neonatology and Primary Health Care services. Early diagnosis and timely management, including physical barriers of cases are essential to reduce transmissibility. All health professionals must continually update their knowledge and skills in preventing and controlling COVID19 in obstetrics and neonatology.
The objective of this review is to identify with the literature the measures to prevent and control neonatal infection by COVID-19. A scoping review is carried out by searching for studies in databases and institutional health websites. The final sample included 25 articles. The results show that among the main measures are the use of masks by suspected or infected people in contact with healthy newborns, hand hygiene before and after each care and feeding, as well as the tools used for milking. It is indispensable to use personal protective equipment by health professionals in neonatology services to maintain a private room for infected newborns or to use physical barriers. Early diagnosis and timely case management is essential to reduce virus transmission. The conclusions are that the research contributed to elucidate health and nursing actions to prevent and control neonatal infection by COVID-19.