Prenatal COVID exposure may increase odds of NDDs

A new study by researchers in the United States raises concerns about the effects of prenatal exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.

Lydia Shook and colleagues analyzed data on more than 18,000 births occurring between March 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021 within the Mass General Brigham health system. The researchers compared the children of mothers who had any positive COVID-19 PCR laboratory test results during pregnancy to the children of mothers who had only negative test results. The hospital conducted universal COVID-19 screening during that time.

The researchers’ analysis showed that maternal COVID-19 exposure in pregnancy was associated with a significant increase in neurodevelopmental diagnoses by the 36-month mark, “with effects most pronounced after third-trimester exposure and in male offspring.” Sixteen percent of children exposed prenatally to COVID-19 received a neurodevelopmental diagnosis by the time they reached three years of age, compared to fewer than 10 percent of unexposed children. After accounting for multiple factors that could influence neurodevelopment, the researchers found that maternal COVID-19 infection during pregnancy was associated with a 29% higher likelihood of a child receiving a neurodevelopmental diagnosis by age three.

“These findings,” senior study author Andrea Edlow says, “highlight that COVID-19, like many other infections in pregnancy, may pose risks not only to the mother, but to fetal brain development.” Shook comments, “Parental awareness of the potential for adverse child neurodevelopmental outcomes after COVID-19 in pregnancy is key. By understanding the risks, parents can appropriately advocate for their children to have proper evaluation and support.”

Citations

“Neurodevelopmental outcomes of 3-year-old children exposed to maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection in utero,” Lydia L Shook, Victor Castro, Laura Ibanez-Pintor, Roy H. Perlis, and Andrea G. Edlow, Obstetrics & Gynecology, October 30, 2025 (online). Address: Andrea G. Edlow, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Dept. of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, [email protected].

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“COVID-19 during pregnancy linked to higher risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in children,” news release, Mass General Brigham, October 30, 2025.