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. 2021 Apr 13;41(5):988–997. doi: 10.1038/s41372-021-01019-4

Table 2.

Guidelines, recommendations, and neonatal care practices during the COVID-19 pandemic.

South-East Asia
n = 23
Europe and Central Asia
n = 25
Middle East and North Africa
n = 23
Latin America and Caribbean
n = 39
Sub-Saharan Africa
n = 35
Guidelines followed or in usea
  WHO 10 (43%) 14 (56%) 16 (70%) 14 (36%) 15 (43%)
  National 17 (74%) 19 (76%) 8 (35%) 19 (49%) 19 (54%)
  Local 11 (48%) 7 (28%) 8 (35%) 27 (69%) 16 (46%)
Viral testing
  Not available 3 (13%) 2 (8%) 4 (17%) 2 (5%) 6 (17%)
  Available, intermittent access 6 (26%) 4 (16%) 10 (43%) 16 (41%) 18 (51%)
  Available, no restrictions 14 (61%) 19 (76%) 9 (40%) 21 (54%) 11 (32%)
Delivery room management
  Immediate cord clamping 11 (48%) 15 (60%) 8 (35%) 19 (49%) 7 (20%)
  Delayed cord clamping 4 (17%) 7 (28%) 3 (13%) 17 (44%) 12 (34%)
  Do not know/missing 8 (35%) 3 (12%) 12 (52%) 3 (7%) 16 (46%)
 Separate asymptomatic infant from mother with COVID-19 6 (26%) 14 (56%) 11 (47%) 15 (38%) 7 (20%)
Feeding of asymptomatic infant born to mother with COVID-19
  Breastfeeding 14 (61%) 12 (48%) 10 (43%) 19 (49%) 21 (60%)
  Expressed breast milk 5 (22%) 8 (32%) 7 (30%) 16 (41%) 9 (26%)
  Formula 3 (13%) 5 (20%) 6 (26%) 3 (8%) 2 (6%)
  Do not know 1 (4%) 0 0 1 (3%) 3 (9%)
Discharge of asymptomatic infant born to mother with COVID-19
  As before 11 (48%) 4 (16%) 6 (26%) 25 (64%) 15 (43%)
  Later (for observation) 6 (26%) 9 (36%) 5 (22%) 3 (8%) 10 (29%)
  Earlier (to avoid transmission) 2 (9%) 7 (28%) 9 (39%) 10 (20%) 5 (14%)
  Do not know 4 (17%) 5 (20%) 3 (13%) 1 (3%) 5 (14%)

aMultiple responses possible. Total may exceed 100% for this item.