Babies exposed to SARS-CoV-2 virus during pregnancy could be affected by neuronal development, warns a preliminary analysis by the European Psychiatric Association, presented at the 30th European Congress of Psychiatry (EPA, June 4-7, 2022).
Not all babies born to mothers infected with coronavirus have differences in neurodevelopment. But our data show that their risk is higher compared to those who are not exposed to Covid-19 in the womb, said Dr. Rosa Ayesa Arriola, the study’s coordinator.
Researchers have found that babies born to infected mothers have more difficulty relaxing and adjusting when held in their arms than babies born to uninfected mothers, especially when the infection occurred at the end of pregnancy. . Moreover, babies born to infected mothers tend to have greater difficulty controlling their head and shoulder movements. These changes suggest a possible Covid-19 effect on motor function (motion control), says Prof. Agueda Castro Quintas of the University of Barcelona.
To reach this conclusion, the researchers compared babies born to 21 Covid-positive pregnant women to 21 healthy pregnant women attending the Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital in Santander, Spain.
Mothers underwent a series of tests during and after pregnancy. These included hormonal tests, biochemical tests, saliva tests, psychological questionnaires, etc. All tests were adjusted for infant age, gender, and other factors.
Postnatal tests also included the Neonatal Behavior Assessment Scale (NBAS), which measures a child’s movement and behavior.
The authors of the study announced that the study will continue by monitoring the baby’s language and motor development between 18 and 42 months.
Of course, in infants, there are aspects that we simply cannot measure, such as language skills or cognition. We also need to be aware that this is a relatively small sample, so the study should be repeated with long-term monitoring. We need a larger sample of subjects to determine the role of infection in altering the baby’s neurodevelopment and the contribution of other environmental factors, says Nerea San Martin Gonzales, co-author of this study, conducted at the Instituto de Salud Carlos III of the University of Barcelona.
Congress participants stressed the importance of studying both the direct and indirect effects of Covid-19 on the health of parents and children.
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