COVID-19 role in infant’s death is inconclusive

Connecticut’s medical examiner said Friday that the Hartford infant with COVID-19 died from unsafe sleeping in soft bedding, and the role of the coronavirus in her death is unclear.

Dr. James Gill made the announcement at around 4 p.m., weeks after tissue from the infant was sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for analysis.

“The death has been certified as: Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy,” Gill said, adding that unsafe sleeping in a bassinet with soft bedding was part of the cause.

“Infants may die from unexplained causes or from compromised sleeping conditions,” he said, pointing out typical causes for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. “Therefore, when there is no definitive cause of death at autopsy, these deaths are typically certified as ‘Undetermined’ or ‘Sudden Unexpected/Unexplained Death in Infancy.’ When there are intrinsic and/or extrinsic risk factors in such a death, the cause is certified as above and the risk factors are listed parenthetically.”

The CDC examined lung tissue and confirmed the COVID-19 infection.

“There currently is limited medical information on how COVID-19 infection affects infants,” Gill said. “Therefore, the contributory role of COVID-19 infection remains unclear as the typical microscopic lung findings currently described in adult COVID-19 infections were not seen.”

Gov. Ned Lamont announced the death of the newborn on April 1, and reports of the fatality of someone so young became national news at a time when the pandemic was just taking hold, and thought to affect mostly elderly people. The state’s first fatality occurred March 17.

The state Department of Public Health on Friday reported seven new fatalities, bringing the total to 4,396 in the pandemic. There was no net increase or decrease in hospitalizations, with a total of 66 patients for the second consecutive day.