A new study suggests that children born to mothers who contracted COVID-19 during pregnancy face a slightly higher risk of autism and other developmental delays, including problems with speech and motor skills, The Washington Post reported.
The research, published Thursday in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology, analyzed medical records from more than 18,000 births in Massachusetts between March 2020 and May 2021, a period before vaccines were widely available.
Of the 861 women who tested positive for COVID-19 while pregnant, 140 gave birth to children later diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental condition by age three.
Dr. Andrea Edlow, a physician-scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital and associate professor at Harvard Medical School, co-authored the study and cautioned that the findings show only an association, not proof of cause.
“It’s not that every pregnant woman with COVID-19 needs to think her child is going to have autism,” Edlow told The Washington Post. “Overall, the absolute risk is not extremely high.”
Researchers say the data add to a growing body of evidence linking viral infections during pregnancy to potential neurological effects in children. While viruses such as Zika or rubella have been known to cause fetal injury directly, experts believe respiratory viruses like COVID-19 are less likely to cross the placenta.
Instead, the mother’s immune response — particularly inflammation — may influence how neurons in the fetal brain develop and connect.
The Post reported that public health officials argue the findings highlight the importance of vaccination for expectant mothers, though vaccine hesitancy has grown in recent years.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. earlier this year directed the CDC to stop recommending coronavirus vaccination for healthy pregnant women, a move that drew sharp criticism from medical groups including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, which continues to endorse vaccination.
Researchers acknowledged limitations in the Massachusetts study, noting that factors such as obesity, hypertension, and gestational diabetes were not controlled for and may have influenced the results.
Still, outside experts like Lisa Croen of Kaiser Permanente told the Post the data “provide additional, strong rationale for supporting COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy.”
Scientists said more large-scale research is needed to determine whether vaccinated mothers face the same risks or if immunity reduces the potential impact on children’s neurodevelopment.
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