A new study suggests that children born to mothers who had COVID‑19 during pregnancy face a higher risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism and speech or motor delays.
Researchers at Mass General Brigham analyzed data for more than 18 000 births between March 2020 and May 2021. They found that 16.3 % of children exposed in utero to SARS-CoV-2 were diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental condition by age 3, compared with 9.7 % of unexposed peers—a roughly 29 % increase.
The study noted particular risk for male children and for infections occurring in the third trimester of pregnancy, a critical period for brain development. However, lead authors emphasise that while the relative risk is higher, the absolute likelihood remains low.
These results build on earlier research linking maternal infections to later brain-development issues. Scientists say that immune responses and inflammation during pregnancy could affect the fetal brain even without direct virus transmission.
While the findings underline the value of pregnant people taking precautions against COVID-19, the researchers caution that more work is required to confirm causation and to study effects in vaccinated populations.
