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Publications

Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Epublish 16 citations

PubMed: 39509130 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.43697

Neurodevelopment in the First 2 Years of Life Following Prenatal Exposure to Maternal SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

JAMA Netw Open 7(11):e2443697

Authors: Daphne M Vrantsidis, Marcel van de Wouw, Emily R M Hall, Verena Kuret, Charlie Rioux, Melanie L Conrad, Christine Mesa, Angela Harris, Catherine Lebel, Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen, Gerald F Giesbrecht

Affiliations

  • Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
  • Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI), Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
  • Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
  • Department of Interdisciplinary Human Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock.
  • Institute of Medical Psychology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
  • Institute of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
  • National Microbiology Laboratory at the J. C. Wilt Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
  • Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
  • Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
  • Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
  • Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Abstract

Importance

The effects of prenatal exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection on child development throughout the first 2 years of life are unknown.

Objective

To evaluate whether prenatal exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with child neurodevelopmental outcomes during the first 2 years of life.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cohort study used data from the longitudinal, population-based pan-Canadian Pregnancy During the COVID-19 Pandemic cohort, which recruited participants from April 2020 to July 2022. Children were categorized as exposed to prenatal SARS-CoV-2 infection if their birthing parent had a positive polymerase chain reaction test performed by a health authority or as a healthy negative comparison if their birthing parent did not have SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in their postpartum dried blood spot sample.

Exposure

Prenatal SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The birthing parent reported on their child's temperament at ages 6 and 24 months, developmental milestones at ages 12 and 24 months, and social-emotional milestones at ages 12 and 24 months.

Results

A total of 896 children were included, with 96 children who had been exposed to a prenatal SARS-CoV-2 infection (mean [SD] gestational age at birth, 39.20 [1.50] weeks; 45 [47%] male) and 800 were healthy negative comparisons (mean [SD] gestational age at birth, 39.47 [1.54] weeks; 388 [49%] male). In analyses of covariance adjusted for prepregnancy medical conditions and household socioeconomic status, prenatal exposure to SARS CoV-2 infection was associated with slightly higher regulatory control scores, indicating more regulation, at age 6 months (difference in means, 0.19 [95% CI, 0.02-0.36]; P = .03; ηp2 = 0.01). No significant differences were observed for the other neurodevelopmental outcomes. In mixed models adjusted for the same covariates that aimed to examine change in outcomes over time, prenatal SARS-CoV-2 infection exposure was not associated with developmental change in any neurodevelopmental outcomes between ages 6 and 24 months.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this longitudinal cohort study of multiple aspects of child neurodevelopment between ages 6 and 24 months, negligible associations between prenatal exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection and child outcomes were observed. Follow-up research is warranted to determine whether these predominantly null effects persist into later childhood.

MeSH

Sars-Cov-2, Parturition, Cohort Studies, Gestational Age, Clinical Medicine, Covid-19, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Related Coronavirus, Infections, Child, Neurodevelopment

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