A new study suggests that children whose mothers had a COVID-19 infection during pregnancy may have an increased likelihood of being diagnosed with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders by age 3.
Key Findings from the Research
Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital examined records of over 18,000 births in the Mass General Brigham system between March 2020 and May 2021. They compared neurodevelopmental diagnoses in children up to age 3 with their mothers' laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 status during pregnancy.
- Overall Risk: Children born to mothers with a COVID-19 infection during pregnancy were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder (over 16% vs. less than 10% in the uninfected group). This translates to a 1.3 times higher risk after adjusting for other factors.
- Autism Diagnosis: Approximately 2.7% of children whose mothers had COVID-19 while pregnant were diagnosed with autism, compared with about 1.1% of others.
Higher Risk Factors: The increased risks were more pronounced among boys and in cases where the mother was infected during the third trimester.
- The third trimester is considered a "critical window for brain development," and male fetal brains may be more susceptible to maternal immune responses, according to the authors.
- Common Diagnoses: The most frequent diagnoses included disorders in speech, motor function development, and autism.
- Biological Plausibility: The findings support previous research suggesting that a maternal infection could affect the developing fetal brain without direct virus transmission, likely through pathways related to the maternal immune response.
Study Context and Implications
Dr. Lydia Shook, the lead author, emphasized the importance of parental awareness of this potential link, stating, "By understanding the risks, parents can appropriately advocate for their children to have proper evaluation and support."
Dr. Andrea Edlow, a senior author, noted that the results "highlight that COVID-19, like many other infections in pregnancy, may pose risks not only to the mother but also to fetal brain development."
- Isolation of Factors: The study's early-pandemic timeframe, before widespread vaccine availability, allowed researchers to "isolate the association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and offspring neurodevelopment in an unvaccinated population," as approximately 93% of the mothers were unvaccinated.
Disclaimer: This content is published only for health awareness and informational purposes. It's not a substitute for your professional medical advice. You must consult a doctor/healthcare professional regarding your specific health concerns.
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