Classification system and case definition for SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant women, fetuses, and neonates

The possibility of mother-to-fetus transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is currently a highly debated concept in perinatal medicine. It has implications for the mother, fetus, and neonate, as well as for healthcare providers present at the time of birth and caring for the child during the neonatal period, including obstetricians, midwives, family doctors, anesthetists, pediatricians, neonatologists, nurses, and respiratory therapists. At present the evidence for intrauterine transmission from mother to fetus or intrapartum transmission from mother to the neonate is sparse. There are limitations associated with sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic tests used and classification of patients based on test results has also been questioned.