Covid-19 infection during pregnancy linked to higher autism risk in children
Children may be more likely to be diagnosed with autism and other neurodevelopment disorders if their mother had a Covid-19 infection while pregnant, according to a new study, reports BritPanorama.
Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital analyzed more than 18,000 births in the Mass General Brigham health system between March 2020 and May 2021, assessing records for laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 tests among the mothers and for neurodevelopment diagnoses among their children through age 3.
The study found that children born to mothers who had Covid-19 during pregnancy were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with a neurodevelopment disorder compared to those whose mothers did not contract the virus: more than 16% versus less than 10%, equating to a 1.3 times higher risk after adjusting for other factors.
Differences in risks were more pronounced among boys and in cases where the mother contracted Covid-19 during the third trimester. Previous research indicates that male fetal brains may be more susceptible to maternal immune responses during this critical period for brain development.
The most common diagnoses included disorders in speech and motor function development, along with autism. About 2.7% of children born to mothers with Covid-19 during pregnancy were diagnosed with autism, compared to approximately 1.1% of those without such exposure, according to findings published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology.
The researchers highlighted the biological plausibility of their observations, suggesting potential pathways by which maternal Covid-19 infection could impact fetal brain development even without direct transmission of the virus.
“Parental awareness of the potential for adverse child neurodevelopmental outcomes after Covid-19 in pregnancy is key. By understanding the risks, parents can appropriately advocate for their children to have proper evaluation and support,” said Dr. Lydia Shook, maternal-fetal medicine specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital and lead author of the study.
The timeframe of the study, conducted early in the pandemic before widespread vaccinations, allowed researchers to isolate the association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and offspring neurodevelopment in an unvaccinated population, with about 93% of mothers assessed having not received any vaccine doses.
Dr. Andrea Edlow, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist and senior author of the study, emphasized the implications of the findings. “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,” she noted. “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.”
As awareness around the impacts of Covid-19 continues to evolve, the discourse surrounding maternal health and child development remains a critical area for healthcare professionals and parents alike.
