Abstract: Babies whose mothers contracted COVID-19 while pregnant had more difficulty relaxing and adapting to their bodies while in detention than those whose mothers did not contract covid. In addition, babies born to infected mothers had more difficulty controlling head and shoulder movements. The results suggest that prenatal COVID-19 infection may affect the development of motor function in infants.
Source: European Psychiatric Association
According to a preliminary analysis presented at the 30th European Congress of Psychiatry, babies born to mothers who suffered from COVID-19 disease during pregnancy appear to show differences in neurodevelopmental outcomes at 6 weeks.
The leader of the project, Dr. Rosa Ayesa Arriola, said: “Not all babies born to mothers infected with COVID show differences in neurodevelopment, but our data show that their risk increases compared to those not exposed to “We need a larger study to confirm the exact extent of the difference.”
Researchers found that babies born to mothers who had become infected had more difficulty relaxing and adapting to their bodies when they were exposed to them, compared to babies born to uninfected mothers, especially when the infection occurred. at the end of pregnancy.
In addition, babies born to infected mothers tend to have more difficulty controlling head and shoulder movement. These alterations suggest a possible effect of COVID-19 on motor function (motion control).
The results come from an initial evaluation of the Spanish project COGESTCOV-19, which followed the course of pregnancy and the development of the baby in mothers infected with COVID-19.
Researchers are presenting data on pregnancy and postnatal assessment at 6 weeks of delivery, but the project will continue to see if there are long-term effects. The group will monitor children’s language and motor development between the ages of 18 and 42 months.
The initial assessment compared infants born to 21 positive pregnant women by COVID and their babies, with 21 healthy controls attending Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital in Santander, Spain.
Mothers underwent a series of tests during and after pregnancy. These included hormonal tests and other biochemical tests (measuring things like cortisol levels, immune response, etc.), salivary tests, movement responses, and psychological questionnaires.
All analyzes were adjusted for baby age, sex, and other factors.
Postnatal tests included the Neonatal Behavior Assessment Scale (NBAS), which measures a baby’s movement and behavior.
The researcher Mrs. Águeda Castro Quintas (University of Barcelona, Network of Biomedical Research Centers in Mental Health), said:
“We found that some elements of the NBAS measure were changed in 6-week-old babies who had been exposed to the SARS-VOC-2 virus. Indeed, they react slightly differently to being grabbed or hugged.”
“We have been particularly sensitive to how we have conducted these tests. Each mother and baby has been closely examined by doctors with expert training in the field and in the tests.
“We have to keep in mind that these are preliminary results, but this is part of a project that follows a larger sample of 100 mothers and their babies. They have also been monitored during pregnancy and after delivery.
“We also plan to compare these mothers and babies with data from another similar project (the epiproject) that looks at the effect of stress and genetics on a child’s neurodevelopment.”
Àgueda Castro Quintas continued:
“This is an ongoing project and we are in an initial phase. We found that babies whose mothers had been exposed to COVID showed neurological effects at 6 weeks, but we do not know if these effects will lead to long-term problems, long-term observation can help us understand. ho.
Co-researcher Nerea San Martin Gonzalez, added:
“Of course, in babies who are so young, there are several things we can’t measure, such as language skills or cognition. We should also be aware that this is a relatively small sample, so we are repeating the work, and we will be monitoring it for a longer period. We need a larger sample to determine the role of infection in offspring neurodevelopmental disorders and the contribution of other environmental factors.
“In the meantime, we must emphasize the importance of medical surveillance to facilitate a healthy pregnancy, discussing any questions with your doctor whenever necessary.”
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Commenting on the project, Dr. Rosa Ayesa Arriola said:
“This is the right time to establish international partnerships that allow us to assess the long-term neurodevelopment of children born during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research in this field is vital to understanding and preventing possible neurological problems and mental health vulnerabilities in these children in the coming years. ”
Researchers found that babies born to mothers who had become infected had more difficulty relaxing and adapting to their bodies when they were exposed to them, compared to babies born to uninfected mothers, especially when the infection occurred. at the end of pregnancy. The image is in the public domain
In an independent comment, Dr. Livio Provenzi (University of Pavia, Italy) said:
“There is a great need to study the direct and indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health and well-being of parents and babies. Pregnancy is a period of life that shapes much of our development. subsequent, and exposure to adversity during pregnancy can leave long-lasting biological footprints.
“These findings from Dr. Rosa Ayesa Arriola’s group reinforce evidence of epigenetic alterations in babies born to mothers exposed to pandemic-related stress during pregnancy. It shows that we need larger-scale international research than we do. to understand the effects on the development of this health emergency and to offer better quality care to parents and babies “.
Dr. Provenzi did not participate in this work.
Note: The epiproject is a multicenter project in which the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona and the Hospital Universitari Central d’Astúries participate. Analyze the effects of genetics and stress on the baby’s outcome. It is directed by Prof. Dra. Lourdes Fañanás.
Funding: This research has been funded by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Instituto de Salud Carlos III through the multicenter project of the University of Barcelona – Intramural Scholarships (SAM15-20PI12 and SAM18PI01) -PI L. Fañanas and the Government of Cantabria (INNVAL20). / 02) -PI R. Ayesa. The authors have no conflict of interest regarding the development of this study and the publication of the results.
About this news about COVID-19 and neurodevelopmental research
Author: Tom ParkhillSource: European Psychiatric AssociationContact: Tom Parkhill – European Psychiatric AssociationImage: Image is in the public domain
Original research: the results will be presented at the 30th European Congress of Psychiatry.