A new study published in Obstetrics and Gynecology suggests that children born to women who had COVID-19 during pregnancy may face a higher risk of autism and other developmental disorders. However, researchers noted that the overall risk remains low.
The research, published in The Washington Post, tracked more than 18,000 children born between March 2020 and May 2021 — a period before COVID-19 vaccines were widely available.
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What did the study find?
Of 861 women who tested positive for the virus during pregnancy, 140 later had a child diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental condition by age 3.
Researchers emphasized that the findings show an association, not proof that the virus directly caused autism or developmental delays.
“It’s not that every pregnant woman with COVID-19 in pregnancy needs to think that her child is going to have autism … overall, the absolute risk is not extremely high,” researchers noted.
Health experts say the findings reinforce the importance of vaccinations during pregnancy.
“This is particularly important in the current climate of vaccine hesitancy,” said Mary Ann Comunale, an associate professor at Drexel University’s College of Medicine.
The findings come amid renewed debate over COVID-19 vaccine guidance for pregnant women. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently drew criticism for announcing that the CDC no longer recommends vaccination for healthy expectant mothers — a reversal from prior public health guidance.
How the virus may affect fetal development
Scientists note that while viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and influenza rarely cross the placental barrier, a mother’s immune response and resulting inflammation could affect fetal brain development.
Dr. Edlow explained, “If the fetus’s immune system gets really revved up, that could have downstream consequences, not just for the developing brain, but also for the metabolic system, the liver, the pancreas, the heart, the adipose tissue.”
Those “downstream consequences” could also result in conditions such as obesity and insulin resistance later in life.
While experts stress that more study is required, this research adds to growing evidence that viral infections during pregnancy can influence long-term child development.
