Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain
Children born to mothers who contracted COVID-19 during pregnancy are at increased risk for developmental disabilities by age 3, including language delays, autism, motor difficulties and other developmental delays, according to a new study from Mass General Brigham investigators.
The research results are obstetrics and gynecology.
“These findings highlight that COVID-19, like many other infections during pregnancy, may pose a risk not only to the mother but also to the developing brain of the fetus,” said lead author Dr. Andrea Edlow, an obstetrician and gynecologist in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Massachusetts General Brigham.
“They also support the importance of efforts to prevent COVID-19 infection during pregnancy and are particularly relevant at a time when public trust in vaccines, including the COVID-19 vaccine, is eroding.”
Other maternal infections during pregnancy are associated with risk of various neurodevelopmental diseases in childhood, and animal studies have shown that immune activation during pregnancy disrupts normal fetal brain development and offspring behavior.
To assess the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy, investigators analyzed data on 18,124 live births at Mass General Brigham during the COVID-19 peak period from March 2020 to May 2021.
Researchers studied 18,124 mother-baby pairs. Of the 861 children whose mothers were positive for SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy, 140 (16.3%) had a neurodevelopmental diagnosis by age 3, compared with 1,680 (9.7%) of the remaining 17,263 children whose pregnancies were SARS-CoV-2 negative.
After adjusting for other influencing factors, SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy was associated with a 29% higher risk of developing neurodevelopmental disorders in children.
Investigators also found that men were at higher risk than women. The risk was greatest if the infection occurred in the third trimester of pregnancy.
Reducing risk is important, but co-senior author Roy Perlis, MD, Department of General Psychiatry at Brigham Mass, said, “The overall risk for adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in exposed children is likely still low.”
“Parental awareness of the potential for adverse child neurodevelopmental outcomes following COVID-19 during pregnancy is important,” added first author Lydia Shook, MD, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist. “By understanding the risks, parents can appropriately advocate to ensure their children receive appropriate evaluation and support.”
Additional information:
Lydia L. Shook et al., Neurodevelopmental outcomes in 3-year-old children exposed to maternal severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in utero; obstetrics and gynecology (2025). DOI: 10.1097/aog.0000000000006112
recall: COVID-19 during pregnancy is associated with increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in children (October 31, 2025) Search date: November 1, 2025
This document is protected by copyright. No part may be reproduced without written permission except in fair dealing for personal study or research. The content is provided for informational purposes only.
