Obstet Gynecol

Does maternal COVID infection impact early childhood developmental outcomes?

November 4, 2025

Maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy is associated with increased risk of neurodevelopmental diagnoses by age 3, especially after third-trimester exposure and in male children.

Study details: A retrospective cohort study of 18,124 live births (March 2020–May 2021, Mass General Brigham) compared neurodevelopmental outcomes in children exposed to maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy (defined by PCR positivity) vs. unexposed peers. Neurodevelopmental diagnoses up to 36 months were identified using ICD-10 codes, with logistic regression adjusting for maternal and perinatal confounders.

Results: Of 861 exposed pregnancies, 16.3% of offspring received a neurodevelopmental diagnosis by age 3, compared with 9.7% in the unexposed group (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.29; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05–1.57; P=0.01). Risk was highest with third-trimester exposure (aOR, 1.36) and among male offspring (aOR, 1.43). Sensitivity analyses confirmed the findings.

Source:

Shook LL, et al. (2025, October 30). Obstet Gynecol. Neurodevelopmental Outcomes of 3-Year-Old Children Exposed to Maternal Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Infection in Utero. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41166717/