Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Sep 04, 2025 7 hours, 13 minutes ago
Medical News: Concern Over COVID-19 and Pregnancy
A new review by researchers from Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy and the Emergency Hospital for Children “Grigore Alexandrescu” in Bucharest, Romania has examined whether COVID-19 infections during pregnancy could influence the brain and development of newborns. With more than 21 studies reviewed, the scientists wanted to see if babies exposed to the virus while in the womb showed differences in learning, movement, or behavior during their first two years of life. This
Medical News report highlights what they found.
COVID-19 Infection in Pregnancy Affects Child’s Brain Development
Mixed Findings in Babies
The review showed that about two-thirds of the studies reported at least some delays in child development. These delays mostly appeared in areas such as movement, communication, and social interaction. For example, some infants had slower fine motor skills like grasping objects or moving fingers, while others showed delayed speech or reduced social responsiveness. However, not all the findings were consistent. A number of high-quality, large-scale studies found no significant differences at all, suggesting that the risks may depend on several other factors.
Timing and Severity Matter
The timing of the mother’s infection seemed to play an important role. Babies whose mothers caught COVID-19 in the first or second trimester appeared to have a higher risk of developmental delays compared to those infected in the later stages of pregnancy. Severe maternal illness also raised concerns, with some studies showing that children exposed to mothers who had severe COVID-19 had three times the risk of lower developmental scores compared to those whose mothers had only mild cases.
Clues From the Immune System
Researchers believe that the effects may not come directly from the virus passing to the baby, since that is very rare. Instead, the mother’s immune response – especially the surge of inflammation and cytokines – might disturb the developing brain. Some studies even found specific inflammatory markers in umbilical cord blood that were linked with delays in communication and motor skills. Others detected changes in gene regulation (epigenetic changes) in babies exposed to severe maternal infection, hinting at possible long-term effects.
Other Pandemic Influences
Another complication is that many of the delays seen in infants may not be directly due to the virus itself but to the overall stress of the pandemic. Limited prenatal care, maternal anxiety, social isolation, and reduced healthcare services could also contribute to changes in early childhood development. One study compared babies born before and during the pandemic and found that all babies born during the pandemic scored lower on certain developmental measures, regardless of whether their mothers had COVID-19.
What This Means for Parents
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While the findings are not entirely reassuring, they also don’t suggest a major developmental crisis. Most babies born to infected mothers developed normally, and the delays reported were generally mild and sometimes temporary. Still, the review stresses the need for longer studies that follow children beyond the age of two to truly understand any lasting impact. For now, healthcare providers recommend close monitoring of babies born to mothers who had COVID-19, especially if the infection was severe or occurred early in pregnancy.
Conclusion
This review shows that COVID-19 during pregnancy may carry some risks for child development, especially in cases of severe maternal illness or early pregnancy infections. However, the evidence is not uniform, and in many cases, no differences were found. The findings suggest that while most children will grow normally, a subgroup might face subtle challenges that need careful monitoring. Long-term studies are needed to separate the effects of the virus from the general hardships of the pandemic. Parents should take comfort that many infants remain unaffected, but continued research and pediatric follow-up are essential for safeguarding the health of the next generation.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed Journal of Clinical Medicine
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/14/17/6202
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Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/covid-19-infection-during-pregnancy-alters-placental-genes-and-may-raise-risks-for-the-baby
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/u-s-study-reveals-babies-born-to-covid-19-infected-mothers-in-late-pregnancy-have-smaller-heads-and-developmental-risks
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/covid-19-during-pregnancy-linked-to-rise-in-congenital-heart-disease-in-newborns
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