Exploring the impact of COVID-19 on newborn neurodevelopment: a pilot study

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 13; no. 1; pp. 2983 - 8
• Main Authors: Ayesa-Arriola, Rosa, Castro Quintas, Águeda, Ortiz-García de la Foz, Víctor, Miguel Corredera, Margarita, San Martín González, Nerea, Murillo-García, Nancy, Neergaard, Karl, Fañanás Saura, Lourdes, de las Cuevas-Terán, Isabel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 20.02.2023; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/477/2811; 692/499; 692/700/1720/3186; Child; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Female; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Infant; Infant Behavior; Infant, Newborn; Infants; Longitudinal studies; Mental disorders; Motor skill; multidisciplinary; Neonates; Neurodevelopment; Neurodevelopmental disorders; Pandemics; Pilot Projects; Pregnancy; Prenatal experience; Prenatal exposure; SARS-CoV-2; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; State regulations
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29680-z

The COVID-19 pandemic can seize the opportunity to explore the hypothesis of prenatal exposure to viral infections increases the risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. Advancing our knowledge in this regard would improve primary prevention of mental disorders in children. For this pilot study, six-week-old infants born to mothers exposed (n = 21) or unexposed (n = 21) to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) were assessed in Santander-Cantabria (Spain) using the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS). Groups comparisons were performed to explore the effects that infection and timing of exposure (in terms of the three trimesters of pregnancy). The infants’ competencies and performances on the NBAS were generally similar in the exposed and unexposed to SARS-CoV-2 groups. The most significant difference found was a less optimally response to cuddliness (item on the state regulation domain) particularly in infants born to mothers exposed in the third trimester of pregnancy, and in pull-to-sit (item on the motor system domain). Although our interpretations must be careful, these preliminary results highlight the possible association between prenatal SARS-CoV-2 exposure and poorer development in motor skills and infant interactive behavior. Further longitudinal studies are needed to explore these relationships and disentangle the biological mechanisms implicated.