Does COVID-19 During Pregnancy Harm the Baby’s Brain?

The vertical passage of the COVID-19 virus from the mother to the fetus does not affect the baby’s brain development.

COVID-19 of mild to moderate severity in pregnant women appears to not affect the brain of the developing fetus, according to a study being presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

Two years into the pandemic, there is evidence that pregnant women are more vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus that causes COVID-19.

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However, little is known about the possible consequences for an unborn child if the mother is infected during pregnancy.

“Women infected with SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy are concerned that the virus may affect the development of their unborn child, as is the case with some other viral infections,” said study senior author Sophia Stöcklein, MD, from the Department of Radiology at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, in Germany.

To fill this gap in knowledge regarding the impact of maternal COVID-19 infection on fetal brain development, researchers used fetal MRI to study 33 patients with COVID-19 infection during pregnancy.

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The patients were roughly 28 weeks into their pregnancies, on average, with symptom onset occurring at a mean of just over 18 weeks into the pregnancy. The most common maternal symptoms were loss or a reduced sense of smell and taste, dry cough, fever, and shortness of breath.

Two board-certified radiologists with several years of experience in fetal MRI evaluated the scans. They found that the brain development in the assessed areas was age-appropriate in all fetuses. There were no findings indicative of infection of the fetal brain.

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“In our study, there was no evidence that a maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection has any effect on the brain development of the unborn child,” Dr. Stöcklein said. “This fact should help to reassure affected parents.”

Since the impact of severe infection on brain development in the fetus has not been conclusively determined, active protection against COVID-19 infection during pregnancy remains important.

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As part of that protection, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends vaccination for all people ages 12 and older, including women who are pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant. The CDC notes that the vaccine can protect against severe illness.

The researchers will be following the patients over the next five years, including detailed neonatal assessment, as well as assessment of neurological development.

Source-Medindia