Misperception of maternal COVID-19 test status as a barrier to recruitment for an observational cohort study of mother-preterm infant dyads

Enrollment into a prospective cohort study of mother-preterm infant dyads during the COVID-19 pandemic progressed slower than anticipated. Enrollment occurred during the first week after preterm birth, while infants were still hospitalized. We hypothesized that slower enrollment was attributable to mothers testing positive for COVID-19 as hospital policies restricted them from entering the neonatal intensive care unit, thus reducing interactions with research staff. However, only 4.5% of 245 screened mothers tested COVID-19 positive. Only 24.9% of those screened, far fewer than anticipated, were eligible for enrollment. Assumptions about pandemic-related enrollment barriers were not substantiated in this pediatric cohort.