Pediatrics

No link found between COVID-19 vaccination in early pregnancy and birth defects

March 18, 2025

Study details: This claims-based cohort study analyzed 78,052 pregnancies ending in live births, with participants having their last menstrual period between August 15, 2021, and December 24, 2021. Researchers compared the prevalence of major structural birth defects in offspring of those vaccinated with either Moderna mRNA-1273 or Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 during early pregnancy (≤20 weeks gestation) and those unvaccinated.

Results: No significant differences in birth defect rates were found between unvaccinated (160.6 per 10,000 live births) and vaccinated (156.4 per 10,000) groups (adjusted prevalence ratio, 0.96; 95% confidence interval, 0.81–1.13). Additionally, no difference in prevalence of birth defects was observed between Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines.

Clinical impact: COVID-19 vaccination doesn’t increase the risk of major structural birth defects, supporting the safety of the vaccine in early pregnancy.

Source:

Rowe SL, et al. (2025, March 14). Pediatrics. COVID-19 Vaccination During Pregnancy and Major Structural Birth Defects. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40081452/