“Study Finds Increased Risk of Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Boys Born to Mothers with SARS-CoV-2 Infection During Pregnancy”

If mothers become infected with SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy, boys have an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in the first twelve months of life – this effect was not observed in girls, according to the results of a US study.

background

A large-scale US cohort study suggests that SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy increases the risk of a range of neurodevelopmental disorders in male offspring. These included motor disorders, communication disorders and autism spectrum disorders. No significant correlation was found in girls. The results of the study were published in the medical open access journal “JAMA Network Open”. [1].

Data from more than 18,000 children evaluated

A working group led by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) analyzed retrospective health data from 18,355 children born between March 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021 at eight hospitals in eastern Massachusetts, United States. Among the participants, 883 (4.8%) had SARS-CoV-2 exposure during pregnancy. Their data was compared with two control groups: one with children who were born before the pandemic and one with children who grew up during the pandemic but were born before the maternal infection.

Sons of SARS-CoV-2 positive mothers are at higher risk of neurodevelopmental disorders than girls

Of the 883 SARS-CoV-2-exposed children, 26 (2.9%) developed an early childhood developmental disorder within the first twelve months of life. Among the children of uninfected mothers, 317 (1.8%) received such a diagnosis.

After factors such as race, ethnic background, insurance status, type of hospital (academic center vs. community), maternal age and preterm birth were taken into account, the probability was almost twice as high (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.94, 95% confidence interval [95%-KI] 1,12-3,17) for impaired neurodevelopment in sons of mothers who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 compared to offspring of uninfected women. After 18 months, the probability of illness was still increased by 42%. This connection was not found in daughters. Their risk was even slightly reduced at 0.89.

Since too few of the mothers were vaccinated, it could not be determined whether a Covid 19 vaccination changes the risk.

Conclusion

“The neurodevelopmental risk associated with maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection was disproportionately high in male infants, consistent with the known increased susceptibility of males to prenatal adverse exposures,” says co-author Andrea Edlow, associate professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology and Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist at MGH, in a press release from the clinic.

Co-author Roy Perlis, associate director of research in the Department of Psychiatry and director of the Center for Quantitative Health at MGH, notes the need for larger studies with longer follow-up periods. “We hope to grow this cohort and follow it up over time to provide better answers to potential long-term implications,” Perlis said.