Coronavirus infection during pregnancy can later lead to neurodevelopmental delay in the baby, a study shows.
Communication, fine motor skills or problem solving – a research team from the NYU Grossman School of Medicine wanted to know how much a Corona infection in the last trimester of pregnancy affects the neurological development of the children. After the result, they are calling for urgent follow-up examinations of infants born to mothers with SARS-CoV-2.
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A total of 51 families completed the researchers’ questionnaire. The average age of the mothers was 30.5 years, the births took place on average in the week of pregnancy 39.4 instead. 41 percent of mothers were symptomatic in the last trimester. None of the mothers required ventilator support or critical care. The most common symptoms included cough, fever and muscle pain.
Lack of communication and fine motor skills
Five areas of development were distinguished: communication, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, problem solving and social behavior. Communication, fine motor skills, and problem solving were found to be the most affected. Overall, 53 percent of the children were either below or near the cutoff in at least one developmental area. 24 percent of the babies were below the limit in at least one area queried.
This means that for small children whose mothers are in the last third of the pregnancy and that Coronavirus 16 to 18 months of age have an increased risk of neurodevelopmental delays. This is independent of how difficult the course of Covid-19 was in the infected mothers.
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Every fourth child
“In this study, we found that about one in four children born to mothers with SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy was at risk of developmental delays,” the study authors noted, adding: “These results underscore the urgent need for follow-up of infants born to mothers with SARS-CoV-2.”
However, the scientists note that societal and behavioral changes or stressors that occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic may also have influenced the results. “Hence, it would be important to distinguish the effects of maternal immune activation from the pandemic-related effects on infant neurodevelopment in future studies.”