The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused severe respiratory illnesses, and has led to an unprecedented number of deaths worldwide. However, as we continue to learn more about this novel virus, it is becoming clear that it can have more than just an impact on the respiratory system. A new study has revealed that COVID-19 can cause brain damage in babies who contract the infection while in the womb. The findings add to the growing body of evidence suggesting the virus can have serious and long-term health effects on people of all ages.
Two babies born with brain damage due to COVID-19 virus crossing into their mothers’ placenta, which is believed to be the first two confirmed cases of babies with such trauma. The University of Miami study found both babies who suffered seizures on the day of their birth, suffered significant developmental delays, and had tested negative for the virus but had high levels of Covid antibodies in their blood. According to Dr Merline Benny, a neonatologist and assistant professor of paediatrics at the University of Miami, this suggests that the virus likely transferred from the mother to the placenta and then to the baby. The mothers in both cases tested positive for the virus, with one carrying the baby to full-term and another requiring delivery at 32 weeks due to severe sickness.
One of the babies died at 13 months from the trauma, while the other is in hospice care. Researchers found traces of the virus in the brain of the deceased baby during an autopsy, while the mothers’ placentas showed evidence of the virus. Dr Shahnaz Duara, an obstetrician and gynaecologist at the University of Miami, believes such cases are rare, but women infected during pregnancy should inform their children’s paediatricians to check for developmental delays.
The study highlights the importance of getting vaccinated for COVID-19, especially for women who are planning a pregnancy. Doctors previously suggested that such transmission was possible, but until now, there was no direct evidence of COVID-19 in a mother’s placenta or an infant’s brain. The study suggests that the virus could transfer from mother to child through the placenta during pregnancy.
It is not clear whether the injuries caused during pregnancy were unique to the Delta variant of COVID-19 or could occur with the new Omicron-related variants. This research and its findings indicate that even young and seemingly healthy pregnant mothers should take precautions and get vaccinated to avoid such outcomes in their babies. Meanwhile, the researchers behind the study hope the findings will spark additional long-term investigations, tracking and assistance for babies born with Covid-related brain damage.
As we continue to navigate the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it’s important to recognize the potentially devastating effects the virus can have on the most vulnerable among us. This new study sheds light on the dangerous and long-lasting impact that COVID-19 can have on a developing fetus. As we continue to learn more about the virus and how it affects different age groups, let us remember to take all necessary precautions to slow the spread and protect ourselves and those around us. Our hearts go out to the families affected by this tragic outcome, and we hope that this new information will be used to better understand and combat the effects of COVID-19 on unborn babies.
