COVID in pregnancy raises child's risk for developmental disorders - Harvard Gazette

"Children born to mothers who had COVID-19 while pregnant face an elevated risk of developmental disorders by the time they turn 3 years old, including speech delays, autism, motor disorders, and other developmental delays, according to new research by investigators at Mass General Brigham. The findings are published in Obstetrics & Gynecology."

""These findings highlight that COVID-19, like many other infections in pregnancy, may pose risks not only to the mother, but to fetal brain development," said senior author Andrea Edlow, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Mass General Brigham. "They also support the importance of trying to prevent COVID-19 infection in pregnancy and are particularly relevant when public trust in vaccines - including the COVID-19 vaccine - is being eroded.""

"Other maternal infections during pregnancy have been linked to risk for a range of neurodevelopmental diseases during childhood, and animal studies have shown that immune activation during pregnancy disrupts normal fetal brain development and offspring behavior. To assess the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy, investigators analyzed data on 18,124 live births at Mass General Brigham within the peak COVID-19 window of March 2020 to May 2021. The investigators studied 18,124 mother-child pairs. Among the 861 children whose mothers were SARS-CoV-2-positive during pregnancy, 140 (16.3 percent) received a neurodevelopmental diagnosis by age 3, compared with 1,680 (9.7 percent) of the 17,263 remaining children from SARS-CoV-2-negative pregnancies."

Maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy is associated with increased rates of childhood neurodevelopmental disorders by age three, including speech delays, autism, motor disorders, and other developmental delays. Infection poses the greatest threat when it occurs during the third trimester. Analysis covered 18,124 live births during March 2020–May 2021; among 861 children whose mothers tested positive during pregnancy, 140 (16.3%) received a neurodevelopmental diagnosis by age three versus 1,680 (9.7%) among 17,263 children from SARS-CoV-2-negative pregnancies. Maternal immune activation during infection can disrupt fetal brain development. Preventing COVID-19 in pregnancy and maintaining vaccine trust are emphasized as protective measures.

Read at Harvard Gazette