Journal Article Ahead of print
PubMed: 41424041 DOI: 10.1111/apa.70420
Infants' General Movements Were Not Affected by Exposure to Maternal Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infections.
Acta Paediatr
Authors: Kathrin Neumayr, Katharina Lippert, A Sebastian Schroeder, Vinzenz G Eck, Uta Tacke, Sevil Üzer, Andreas W Flemmer, Mathias Klemme, Claudia Nussbaum, Nikolas Hesse, Sergi Pujades, Leander Behr, Sonja Strieker, Florian Heinen, Mirjam N Landgraf
Affiliations
- Department of Paediatric Neurology and Developmental Medicine, iSPZ Hauner MUC, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, LMU University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.
- Center for Child Neurology and Social Pediatrics, Child Center Maulbronn, Maulbronn, Germany.
- Expert Analytics GmbH, R&D for Digital Innovations, Gauting, Germany.
- University Children's Hospital Basel, Pediatric Neurology, Basel, Switzerland.
- Division of Neonatology, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, LMU University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.
- Swiss Children's Rehab and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Affoltern am Albis, Switzerland.
- Inria, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, LJK, Grenoble, France.
- School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Abstract
AIM
Prenatal maternal infections may impair infant brain development. This study investigated the effect of maternal infections with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) during pregnancy on infant neurodevelopment by assessing general movements (GMs).
METHODS
Infants were recruited for this multicenter prospective cohort study from LMU University Hospital sites in Munich after birth or during routine visits. GMs were recorded and assessed between 1 July 2022 and 31 January 2023, using the Hadders-Algra method. Odds ratios for abnormal GMs were calculated for infants with parent-reported prenatal SARS-CoV-2 exposure compared to unexposed controls. Specific GM subgroups were analysed at preterm, writhing, and fidgety ages.
RESULTS
The study comprised 114 exposed infants (55.3% male) and 92 controls (54.3% male). There were no significant differences between the groups at birth. Two of the mothers were infected twice and one of them required hospitalisation. GMs were assessed at a mean corrected age (CA) of 4 weeks. The odds ratios showed no significant differences in GM quality between exposed infants and controls in either the total group or the subgroups.
CONCLUSION
Prenatal exposure to SARS-CoV-2 did not affect early neurodevelopment, which was determined by GM quality. Further studies should include long-term outcomes.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
The study was registered at the German Clinical Trial Register (ID: DRKS00029247; https://drks.de/search/de/trial/DRKS00029247).
MeSH
Coronavirus, Sars-Cov-2, Parturition, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, Pediatrics, Nervous System Diseases, Movement, Infections, Infant, Neurodevelopment