ArticlePediatric research2026
COVID-19 infection during pregnancy and infant neurodevelopment.
Article in Pediatric research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Prenatal exposure to SARS-CoV-2, early relational health, and child socio-emotional functioning in the first 6 months.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2026Article
- The COVID generation: the neurodevelopmental consequences of in-utero COVID-19 exposure.Brain, behavior, and immunity · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
Abstract
introductionThe impact of maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection on fetal brain development during pregnancy remains unclear. Prior research has associated other antenatal infections with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in offspring.
objectiveTo compare neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants born to mothers infected with SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy (COVID+) to infants without congenital exposure (COVID-).
methodsThis study included 77 COVID+ infants and 157 COVID- infants assessed at 6 and/or 12 months. Outcomes were based on maternal self-report, observed infant behavior and brain fMRI.
resultsOverall, COVID+ and COVID- infant groups showed no significant differences across a range of neurobehavioral measures. However, analyses not adjusted for multiple comparisons revealed differences: fewer night awakenings at 6 (t(154) = 2.24, p < 0.03) and 12 months (t(107) = 1.94, p < 0.05), and reduced duration of orienting at 12 months (t(55.38) = 2.15, p < 0.04) in COVID+ infants. Neural differences were noted in posterior-anterior midline, insular-frontal, insular-posterior cingulate, and frontal-cingulate regions at an uncorrected threshold of p < 0.01.
conclusionThis study of multi-level infant development suggests that infants born to mothers infected with COVID during pregnancy are not experiencing harmful effects of that exposure. IMPACT: This study contributes comprehensive data on infant neurodevelopmental outcomes following prenatal SARS-CoV-2 exposure, evaluating a wide range of behavioral and neural measures to address gaps in previous research. Findings suggest that congenital exposure to SARS-CoV-2 does not result in significant neurodevelopmental impairments in infants, offering reassurance amidst concerns about potential long-term effects of maternal prenatal COVID-19 infection. Results indicate that any observed differences, such as fewer night awakenings and functional neural connectivity patterns, may reflect a more mature developmental profile in the exposed group. Continued longitudinal research is necessary to understand behaviorally relevant and lasting neurodevelopmental effects of prenatal SARS-CoV-2 exposure.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.