[Science Update] Neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants and maternal SARS-CoV-2 infections

3 min read / 02.08.2022

General Nutrition Paediatrics Public health

The global spread of COVID-19 has affected pregnant women increasingly. To evaluate the neurodevelopmental outcomes of newborns delivered to mothers with SARS-CoV-2 infections during pregnancy, a prospective cohort study was conducted in Kuwait. The neurodevelopmental status of 298 infants at 10-12 months post-discharge was assessed by the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, Third Edition (ASQ-3).

Definition of neurodevelopment status

Developmental delays: having a cutoff score for 1 or more domains of ≤ 2 standard deviations (SDs) below the population mean
No delays: having a cutoff score > 2 SDs above the population mean

Results

Clinical characteristics

1.7 % (5 out of 298) infants were born to mothers with SARS-CoV-2 infections during the 1^sttrimester
6.7% (20 out of 298) infants were born to mothers with SARS-CoV-2 infections during the 2^ndtrimester
91.6% (273 out of 298) infants were born to mothers with SARS-CoV-2 infections during the 3^rdtrimester

Neurodevelopmental outcomes

10.1% (30 out of 298) infants were identified as having developmental delays
- 3.3% (1 out of 30) experienced delays in the communication domain
- 10% (3 out of 30) experienced delays in the problem-solving domain
- 27% (8 out of 30) experienced delays in the gross motor domain
- 30% (9 out of 30) experienced delays in the personal-social domain
- 40% (12 out of 30) experienced delays in the fine motor domain
The occurrence of developmental delays differed significantly in terms of the trimester of infection, when compared to those with no delays
- More common in infants born to mothers who were infected during the 1^st and 2^nd trimesters than those during the 3^rd trimester (p < 0.001)
- 13.3% (4 out of 30) infants were born to mothers who were infected during the 1^st trimester
- 20% (6 out of 30) infants were born to mothers who were infected during the 2^nd trimester
- 66.7% (20 out of 30) infants were born to mothers who were infected during the 3^rd trimester
Higher risk of developmental delays was associated with 1^st trimester maternal SARS-CoV-2 infections (aOR: 8.2, 95% CI: 1.1-55.9; p = 0.039) and 2^nd trimester infections (aOR: 8.1, 95% CI: 2.4-27.7; p = 0.001) when compared to 3^rd trimester infections
Developmental delays were more common in infants delivered at < 31 weeks' gestation (aOR: 7.7, 95% CI: 1.4-45.8; p = 0.032)

Link to the full article:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9149327/pdf/12887_2022_Article_3359.pdf

Reference:

Ayed M et al. Neurodevelopmental outcomes of infants born to mothers with SARS-CoV-2 infections during pregnancy: a national prospective study in Kuwait. BMC Pediatr. 2022;22(1):319.

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