Yes, newborns can get COVID-19; infants under six months have the highest child hospitalization rates, so prevention and prompt care matter.
What This Means For Parents Right Now
New babies have tiny airways and immature immune defenses. That mix makes them more likely than older kids to need hospital care when a coronavirus infection hits. Most babies who test positive do well at home, but the risk of serious breathing trouble is higher in the first months. Your goal is simple: lower exposure, spot warning signs early, and act fast when care is needed.
Newborn Susceptibility To COVID — What Data Shows
Across U.S. surveillance systems, babies younger than six months top the pediatric charts for COVID-19 hospital stays. Large reviews also show that infection passed during pregnancy or birth can happen, but it is uncommon. In day-to-day life, most infections in the first weeks come from close contacts.
At-A-Glance Risk Snapshot
The table below rolls up the main signals families ask about. It is meant to guide smart habits, not trigger anxiety.
| Age/Exposure Context | Relative Risk Pattern | Plain-Language Takeaway |
|---|---|---|
| 0–6 months | Highest child hospitalization rate | Extra care with visitors, masks during illness, tight hygiene |
| 6–23 months | Lower than 0–6 months but above older kids | Keep routine care, stay current on shots per local advice |
| During delivery | Low chance of mother-to-baby infection | Rooming-in and skin-to-skin are usually fine with precautions |
| Home exposures | Main route for newborn infection | Sick caregivers should mask, clean hands, and limit kisses |
How COVID-19 Reaches A Newborn
There are two broad routes. The first is transmission around birth or shortly after. Research estimates low rates when strict definitions are used. The second is routine household spread. Babies sleep close to parents and feed often, so face-to-face time is high. That is why basic layers like hand washing, quick testing when sick, and short visitor lists go a long way.
Delivery, Rooming-In, And First Days
Hospitals now keep parents and babies together in most situations. Masking during active symptoms, hand hygiene before every feed, and cleaning high-touch surfaces are the usual steps. Neonatal teams may test the baby if a birthing parent had a recent positive test or symptoms at delivery.
Breast Milk, Antibodies, And Feeding
Human milk carries antibodies and other protective factors after infection or vaccination. Those proteins line the gut and can reduce infection risk. Pumping is fine when a parent feels unwell; use a clean, dedicated pump kit and wash parts after each session. If direct nursing happens while a parent has symptoms, wear a well-fitting mask and clean hands before touching the baby.
Common Symptoms In The First Months
Babies can present quietly. Fever may be the only clue. Some infants have cough, poor feeding, vomiting, loose stools, or unusual sleepiness. Any trouble breathing, pauses in breathing, grunting, blue lips, or trouble waking needs urgent care. In tiny infants, even mild fever deserves attention because other infections can mimic a mild cold at first.
When To Call Or Go In
Call your baby’s clinician now for any fever in a baby under 12 weeks, fast breathing, signs of dehydration, or if something just feels off. Use emergency care for color change, repeated pauses in breathing, or severe lethargy. Trust your read on your child; err on the side of care.
Practical Steps To Lower A Newborn’s Risk
Think in layers. No single step stops every infection, but together they push risk down. Use the checklist below to build a simple home plan.
Visitor And Caregiver Rules That Work
- Delay non-essential visits in the first weeks, especially during high virus activity in your area.
- Ask sick friends or relatives to wait until they are fully well.
- Keep visits short and outdoors when possible.
- Ask adult visitors to clean hands on arrival and skip face kissing.
- Use a mask if you have any respiratory symptoms while holding or feeding the baby.
Daily Habits With The Baby
- Wash hands before every feed, diaper change, and after sneezing or coughing.
- Keep feeding supplies, pacifiers, and bottles clean and separate from adult dishes.
- Ventilate rooms with fresh air; brief window time helps when weather allows.
- Clean high-touch surfaces like phone screens, door handles, and pump parts.
- Use reliable home tests when anyone has cold symptoms; act on positive results.
What The Numbers Say About Risk
Population-based networks in the United States show that babies under six months see the highest rates of hospital care among children. You can read a clear summary on the CDC’s page, “infants younger than 6 months are at highest risk of COVID-19–associated hospitalization.” Large reviews tracking transmission around birth report low but nonzero mother-to-child infection rates. Taken together, the numbers back a cautious, steady approach at home.
Prevention Layers, Ranked By Impact
The items below appear again and again in clinical guidance and reviews. Use them as a menu to fit your home.
| Action | Why It Helps | How To Apply At Home |
|---|---|---|
| Healthy Adult Vaccination | Lowers the odds of bringing virus home | Stay current per local advice and access programs |
| Mask During Illness | Catches droplets at the source | Wear a high-filtration mask while holding or feeding |
| Hand Hygiene | Removes virus from hands | Soap and water for 20 seconds or sanitizer with 60% alcohol |
| Visitor Limits | Fewer contacts, fewer chances for spread | Short, symptom-free visits; skip kisses and face touches |
| Breastfeeding | Delivers protective antibodies | Direct feed or pumped milk with clean technique |
| Good Ventilation | Reduces indoor virus build-up | Open windows briefly or use a HEPA unit in small rooms |
Testing, Isolation, And Care Logistics
If a household member tests positive, set up one primary caregiver who feels well and can mask during close contact. Keep that person on baby duty and give others cleaning and meal tasks. Try to feed in well-aired rooms. If both parents are sick, pick the one with the fewest symptoms for hands-on care and use masks during feeds and diaper changes.
Where Vaccination Fits For Families
Shots for adults, older kids, and breastfeeding parents lower the chance of bringing virus into the nursery. Policies can change by country and season. Check current access through public programs or your child’s clinic. The same visit is a good time to ask about RSV protection, which targets a different virus that can look similar in the first months.
Breastfeeding When A Parent Is Sick
Milk remains the preferred feed even during a mild illness. Antibodies in milk can help shield the infant. For details on safe feeding steps and current evidence, see the CDC’s page “COVID-19 and breastfeeding.” Mask during direct nursing if you have symptoms, and clean hands well before every session. If pumping, label and refrigerate milk safely and have a healthy helper give the bottle.
Air Travel, Errands, And Public Places With A Tiny Infant
Short trips matter. If you can, cluster errands so the baby spends less time in crowded settings. Choose off-peak hours. Keep the car seat canopy open for airflow when indoors, and never drape heavy covers over the seat. For flights, pick window seats when possible and wipe trays, armrests, and buckles with sanitizer wipes. Hold the baby facing you during boarding and deplaning, when aisles are busiest. Wear a well-fitting mask if you have any sniffles, even if a test is negative, to avoid sharing germs of any kind.
Siblings, Daycare, And Household Layers
Big kids bring home colds. Set simple house rules: wash hands when arriving from school, change into clean play clothes before holding the baby, and keep shared towels off limits. If daycare calls about a cough or fever, arrange pick-up and switch sibling care to outdoor play until symptoms pass. A small HEPA unit in the main room can help during peak cold months. Keep the crib in a smoke-free, well-aired space and avoid crowding the nursery with extra guests.
What Clinicians Check During A Visit
Teams look for respiratory effort, hydration, oxygen level, temperature trends, and feeding patterns. They may run a nasal swab panel to check for several viruses at once. In the first three months, even a low-grade fever can prompt labs or brief observation, since tiny babies can worsen quickly. Bring diaper counts, feeding logs, and any home test results; clean notes speed decisions in busy clinics.
Testing In Tiny Infants
Rapid antigen tests are handy for adults in the home. For newborns with symptoms, a clinician may choose a lab PCR. Swabbing a baby at home is tricky and can yield poor samples. If you think your baby needs a test, call your clinic rather than trying to swab at home. If testing isn’t readily available, act on symptoms: isolate the sick adult, step up hygiene, and watch the baby closely for breathing changes or feeding trouble.
Myths That Raise Risk
“Babies Don’t Get Sick From This Virus”
Most infants handle mild infection, but hospital rates are highest in the first six months among children. Light symptoms can turn quickly in tiny infants, which is why fever, labored breathing, or poor feeding needs same-day attention.
“If A Parent Is Sick, Feeding Must Stop”
Milk is still safe. With hand hygiene and a mask during close contact, nursing or feeding expressed milk can continue. Hydration and calories from milk help babies recover if they get sick, and milk carries helpful antibodies.
“Rooming-In Is Unsafe After A Positive Test”
Keeping parents and babies together is standard in many units. With masking during symptoms and good hand hygiene, rooming-in supports bonding and feeding while keeping risk low.
Red Flags And Clear Next Steps
Call your baby’s clinician for any fever in the first 12 weeks, new breathing noise, fast breathing, poor feeding, fewer wet diapers, or gray or blue lips. If your baby stops breathing, turns blue, or cannot wake for feeds, use emergency services right away. Bring a list of symptoms, times, home test results, and medicine doses to help the team move quickly.
Method Notes And How This Guide Was Built
This guide combines national surveillance summaries, peer-reviewed reviews, and clinical agency pages. We favored sources that publish clear methods and pediatric breakouts. We also looked for data that split the first months of life from older children so families can make age-specific decisions.
Helpful Links For Deeper Reading
Public health pages explain why babies under six months carry higher hospital rates among children and outline simple prevention steps; see the CDC brief on infant risk linked above. For feeding specifics and antibody data in milk, the CDC page on breastfeeding linked above is a solid starting point. These resources are updated on a regular cycle and match the practical steps in this guide.