Neuropsychomotor Development of Children Exposed to SARS-CoV-2 in Utero During COVID-19 Pandemic

<b>Introduction</b>: Little is known about the effects of intrauterine exposure to SARS-CoV-2, especially on growth and neurodevelopment in children. <b>Objective</b>: We wished to verify the effect of intrauterine exposure to SARS-CoV-2 on neurological development in children. <b>Methods</b>: Infants born to mothers presenting with SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy were enrolled in a prospective descriptive-analytical study involving outpatient appointments performed 6 and 12 months after birth. Their neurological development was assessed using the Bayley-III Scale, using a score of >85 as the cutoff threshold for identifying developmental delay. Differences between groups were assessed through an ANOVA, using Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. Regression models were employed to examine the associations between the Bayley-III scores and maternal features. <b>Results</b>: Two hundred and sixty-nine infants were evaluated, most of whom were born full-term and with birth weights appropriate for gestational age at delivery. Developmental delays were observed in 26% of the infants in at least one of the Bayley-III domains. The language domain was particularly affected, with impairments observed in children exposed to SARS-CoV-2 closer to the time of delivery. These findings were statistically significant (<i>p</i> < 0.05). <b>Conclusions</b>: Infants born to mothers presenting with SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy presented developmental delays at 6 and 12 months, particularly in the language domain. These findings reinforce the relevance of long-term clinical follow-ups of newborns exposed to SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy.

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Publication Details

Journal
Biomedicines
Published
2025-09-12
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13092256
Primary Topic
COVID-19 Impact on Reproduction
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Neuropsychomotor Development of Children Exposed to SARS-CoV-2 in Utero During COVID-19 Pandemic

Jordana Grazziela Alves Coelho-dos-Reis, José Alfredo Lacerda de Jesus, Felipe Motta, Caroline L. Alves et al.
Biomedicines
COVID-19 Impact on Reproduction
article

Neuropsychomotor Development of Children Exposed to SARS-CoV-2 in Utero During COVID-19 Pandemic

Jordana Grazziela Alves Coelho-dos-Reis, José Alfredo Lacerda de Jesus, Felipe Motta, Caroline L. Alves, Alexandre Soares, Olindo Assis Martins‐Filho, Pedro Henrique Souza Silva, Wagner dos Santos, Ciro Martins Gomes, Cleandro Pires de Albuquerque, Marcelo Antônio Pascoal-Xavier, Rosana Maria Tristão, Geraldo Magela Fernandes, Luiz Cláudio Castro, Laila Salmen Espíndola, Lizandra Moura Paravidine Sasaki, Ângelo Pereira da Silva, Ismael Artur da Costa-Rocha, Juliana M. B. Santos, Otávio de Tolêdo Nóbrega, Rodrigo de Resende Nery, Karina Nascimento Costa, Lucas Lauand, Lícia Maria Henrique da Mota, Alberto Moreno Zaconeta, David Araujo, Maria Eduarda Canellas-de-Castro
article en

Abstract

<b>Introduction</b>: Little is known about the effects of intrauterine exposure to SARS-CoV-2, especially on growth and neurodevelopment in children. <b>Objective</b>: We wished to verify the effect of intrauterine exposure to SARS-CoV-2 on neurological development in children. <b>Methods</b>: Infants born to mothers presenting with SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy were enrolled in a prospective descriptive-analytical study involving outpatient appointments performed 6 and 12 months after birth. Their neurological development was assessed using the Bayley-III Scale, using a score of >85 as the cutoff threshold for identifying developmental delay. Differences between groups were assessed through an ANOVA, using Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. Regression models were employed to examine the associations between the Bayley-III scores and maternal features. <b>Results</b>: Two hundred and sixty-nine infants were evaluated, most of whom were born full-term and with birth weights appropriate for gestational age at delivery. Developmental delays were observed in 26% of the infants in at least one of the Bayley-III domains. The language domain was particularly affected, with impairments observed in children exposed to SARS-CoV-2 closer to the time of delivery. These findings were statistically significant (<i>p</i> < 0.05). <b>Conclusions</b>: Infants born to mothers presenting with SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy presented developmental delays at 6 and 12 months, particularly in the language domain. These findings reinforce the relevance of long-term clinical follow-ups of newborns exposed to SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy.

BiomedicinesVol. 13(9)
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (BR), Universidade de Brasília (BR), Governo do Distrito Federal (BR), Secretaria de Estado de Educação do Distrito Federal (BR), Hospital Universitário de Brasília (BR), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (BR)
Universidade de Brasília, Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
Openalex Percentile: Top 70%
COVID-19 Impact on Reproduction
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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