A new study has revealed that children of mothers who contracted COVID-19 during pregnancy are at a higher risk of developing autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. The research analysed more than 18,000 births at the Massachusetts General Brigham Health System between March 2020 and May 2021. It examined laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infections in mothers and subsequent diagnoses of developmental disorders in their children up to three years of age.
Increased Autism and Developmental Delays
According to the study, over 16% of children born to mothers infected with COVID-19 during pregnancy were diagnosed with some form of neurodevelopmental disorder, compared to less than 10% among those whose mothers were not infected. After accounting for other factors, researchers found a 1.3 times higher risk for affected children.
Among these diagnoses, autism was one of the most significant findings, with about 2.7% of children born to COVID-positive mothers showing signs of autism compared to 1.1% of those whose mothers were uninfected.
Higher Risk in Male Babies
The increased risks were found to be more prominent among male children and in cases where the infection occurred during the third trimester of pregnancy. The final stages of pregnancy are crucial for foetal brain development, and earlier research has suggested that male foetal brains may be more vulnerable to maternal immune responses during this period.
Biological Basis and Global Relevance
Researchers highlighted that these findings are biologically plausible and consistent with previous studies showing that maternal infections can affect foetal brain development even without direct transmission. The results emphasise the importance of understanding how COVID-19 may influence brain development and the need for early screening and support for children at risk.
Broader Context and Rising Autism Cases
The study’s conclusions come amid rising autism diagnoses worldwide. In the U.S., about 1 in 31 children was diagnosed with autism by age eight in 2022, up from 1 in 36 in 2020. Experts largely attribute this increase to greater awareness and improved screening. However, the new research suggests that infections such as COVID-19 during pregnancy could also play a role in this growing trend, reinforcing the need for continued research and preventive health measures for expectant mothers.
