The study was based on health data from 12 states collected from October 2022 to April 2024, and the results were published in the agency’s publication Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). ” is published.
The report found that among the 1,470 infants who became ill enough to be hospitalized due to COVID-19, severe outcomes occurred “frequently.”
Excluding newborns hospitalized at birth, about one in five infants hospitalized with COVID-19 required intensive care, and nearly one in 20 required a ventilator.
“These babies are not necessarily babies with high-risk disease,” Silverman said. “These are full-term, healthy newborns who happened to be infected with the coronavirus and ended up on ventilators in the hospital.”
Many pregnant patients remain hesitant despite the risks.
However, persistent misinformation about the vaccine online has led to widespread skepticism among pregnant patients.
“The most frustrating response I’ve gotten from people is that we need to do more research before considering getting the COVID-19 vaccine,” Silverman said. “We have numerous studies showing the safety of mRNA vaccines. We don’t know how much more research we can provide to skeptics.”
Of the 1,000 infants hospitalized with COVID-19, the median age was just two months old, according to the report. Nine of the infants died.
Deborah Greenhouse, a pediatrician in South Carolina, said she plans to share the research with the families she cares for. “There’s absolutely a percentage of the population that looks at this and says, oh, I should get the vaccine, so maybe I can protect my baby,” she said.
“I think if we could actually show the hospitalization numbers, the intensive care numbers, the ventilator numbers, that might help convince some parents. These are big issues,” Greenhouse said. said.
Doctors need to stock vaccinations and discuss them
Greenhouse often waits until parents in her office confirm they are pregnant before discussing the latest COVID-19 vaccinations. Now she’s reconsidering that strategy and plans to talk to all parents who bring their children to appointments about vaccinations.
“We have an opportunity to step in and educate them and make them understand how important this is,” she said.
Silverman said doctors can encourage vaccination by making it as easy and simple as possible. He encouraged his fellow doctors to offer shots in their offices instead of sending patients to pharmacies or other health care providers.
