The correlation between neutrophil lymphocyte ratio in pregnant women with COVID-19 and neonatal outcome

Abstract

Background and objectives. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in pregnancy periods can adversely affect the neonatal outcomes. Neutrophil Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) were reported as sensitive markers and good predictor of COVID-19 progression in symptomatic pregnant women. The aim of this study to find correlation on NLR value of the pregnant women with COVID-19 to the neonatal outcome. Materials and methods. We retrospectively included neonates who was delivered from pregnant women with COVID-19 at Dr. Soetomo Hospital from June 2021 to July 2022. NLR value of the pregnant women were calculated. Demographic data and clinical characteristic were taken from medical records. The diagnosis of COVID-19 in pregnant women is confirmed by PCR nasopharyngeal swab, as well as in the neonates who undergo nasopharyngeal swab a maximum of 24 hours after birth. Results. Total of 1058 births delivered between June 2021- July 2022, 224 neonates (21.17%) met inclusion criteria. We analyzed the severity of maternal factors described by NLR and correlated with neonate outcomes, such as mortality, Apgar Score (AS), birth weight, gestational age, type of delivery and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) swab of the neonates. the results of our analysis, the maternal NLR was correlated with the birth weight (p=0.005). However, NLR of the pregnant women are not correlated with mortality of the neonates (p=0.681), type of delivery (p= 1), AS at 1 minute (p= 0.158), AS at 5 minutes (p= 0.158), gestational age (p= 0.110) length of stay (LOS) (p=0,258) and PCR swab of the neonates (p= 1). Conclusions. NLR value in the majority of pregnant women with COVID-19 was found to be increasing, but these results are not related for the neonatal outcome except the birth weight.