COVID-19 Infection During Pregnancy Linked to Higher Risk of Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Children
Children born to mothers who had a COVID-19 infection during pregnancy may be at a significantly increased risk of being diagnosed with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders, according to a new study published today.
Researchers analyzed data from over 18,000 births that occurred between March 2020 and May 2021 within the Mass General Brigham health system. The study found that more than 16% of children whose mothers tested positive for COVID-19 during pregnancy were diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder, compared to less than 10% of those whose mothers did not have an infection – representing a 1.3 times higher risk after adjusting for other factors. The most common diagnoses included speech and motor function delays, as well as autism, with approximately 2.7% of children born to infected mothers receiving an autism diagnosis versus 1.1% in the comparison group.
The increased risk was particularly pronounced in boys and when the maternal infection occurred during the third trimester, a critical period for brain development. “Parental awareness of the potential for adverse child neurodevelopmental outcomes after COVID-19 in pregnancy is key,” said Dr. Lydia Shook, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital and lead author of the study. “By understanding the risks, parents can appropriately advocate for their children to have proper evaluation and support.” This research adds to growing concerns about the long-term health consequences of COVID-19.
The study focused on an unvaccinated population – approximately 93% of the mothers had not received a COVID-19 vaccine – allowing researchers to isolate the impact of the virus itself. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that approximately 1 in 31 children in the US was diagnosed with autism by age 8 in 2022. Researchers emphasized the importance of preventing COVID-19 infection during pregnancy, particularly as public trust in vaccines wanes, and are continuing to investigate the underlying biological mechanisms at play.
Researchers plan to continue monitoring the children in the study cohort and further investigate the potential pathways through which maternal COVID-19 infection may affect fetal brain development, according to Dr. Andrea Edlow, a senior author of the study.
