SARS in newborns and children

The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a highly contagious infection caused by a newly discovered strain of coronavirus (SARS-CoV). Infants born to pregnant women with SARS did not appear to acquire the infection through vertical transmission. Some newborn infants, however, developed severe intrauterine growth retardation and life-threatening gastrointestinal complications. It is now known that the clinical course and prognosis are different between paediatric and adult SARS patients. Young children (< 12 years), in general, run a less aggressive clinical course than do teenage and adult patients. Thus far, no fatalities have been reported in the paediatric age group (< or =18 years). This review describes the current understanding of the clinical manifestations, diagnostic tests, immunological profiles, patient management and outcomes of SARS-CoV infection in the paediatric population.