Asmaa Haseeb Hwaid^1,, Afak Rasheed Salman Zaidi¹, Ansam Dawod Salman²

The recent emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic was the reason why the effects and consequences of its transmission from pregnant women to their fetuses were not understood. However, recent studies have tried to decipher this virus by first confirming its vertical transmission and then identifying its pathogenesis and teratogenicity, if any. The objective of this mini-review is to conduct a review of recent studies for confirming the vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2 during the third trimester of pregnancy. The literature search was performed using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science and Google Scholar databases. The research was conducted from September 1, 2021 to May 1, 2022 and the research was based on the following keywords: “(“Coronavirus” COVID-19”, “Vertical transmission”, “pregnancy” and “Third trimester”). Studies have shown that the occurrence of vertical transmission is possible, and this is confirmed by the presence of virus receptors in birth products such as the placenta, in addition to the appearance of IgM antibodies in neonates. Their mothers were positive for the SARS-CoV-2 PCR test, as well as the presence of viral RNA in the placenta, since the third trimester of pregnancy appears to be the most vulnerable period of viral infection, most cases of vertical transmission have been documented during this period. More studies are required to confirm vertical transmission during the first and second trimesters of pregnancy, in addition, study the effect of the virus on fetuses at the immunological, pathological and teratological levels during all periods of pregnancy and investigating the role of new variants of this virus in the incidence of vertical transmission and the consequences of infection with it.

SARS-CoV-2, pregnant women, vertical transmission, third trimester