Male babies are at a risk of affected by neurodevelopmental disorders when their mothers catch the COVID-19 virus while pregnant.
A latest study published within the journal JAMA Network Open on Thursday explored the chance of getting neurodevelopmental disorders between female and male offspring of moms with SARS-CoV-2 infection while pregnant.
The research team wanted to find out if the male or female child had a greater risk of developing brain disorders when exposed to the virus contained in the placenta.
The team analyzed data from 18,355 babies born after February 2020 to moms who tested positive for the novel coronavirus via the polymerase chain response test.
The brand new research led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) found that male infants were more more likely to receive a neurodevelopmental diagnosis in the primary 12 months after birth than females.
“These findings suggest that male offspring exposed to SARS-CoV-2 in utero could also be at increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders,” they wrote.
After accounting for race, ethnicity, maternal age, preterm status and other aspects, the team found that maternal COVID-19 positivity was related to nearly two-fold higher odds of neurodevelopmental diagnosis in male infants at 12 months. The problem was not present in female babies.
Previous studies established associations between other infections while pregnant and neurodevelopmental disorders in children, including autism spectrum disorder, MGH identified in a press release.
The brand new study explored if the identical link exists with SARS-CoV-2 infection while pregnant, with a give attention to the difference in risk between male and female child.
“The neurodevelopmental risk related to maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection was disproportionately high in male infants, consistent with the known increased vulnerability of males within the face of prenatal hostile exposures,” co-lead creator Andrea Edlow, MD MSc, said within the press release.
Co-lead Roy Perlis, MD MSc, said they hope to expand the cohort and do a follow-up over time since larger and longer studies are needed to make their findings reliable.
“We hope to proceed to expand this cohort, and to follow them over time, to supply higher answers about any longer-term effects,” he said.
The study was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health, the Simons Foundation and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.