❦ ‘Babies whose mothers were infected with the coronavirus during pregnancy may face a higher risk of brain development disorders such as autism and bipolar disorder, a new study that examined more than 7,500 births suggests.

Other viruses, such as influenza and measles, are thought to make babies more vulnerable to conditions such as autism, schizophrenia and depression if they are exposed in utero.

After the researchers accounted for other factors that could affect a child’s risk for a neurodevelopmental issue — such as pre-term births, the mother’s age and the baby’s gender — they calculated that babies with prenatal exposure to SARS-CoV-2 were 86% more likely to be diagnosed in their first year compared with babies who weren’t exposed before they were born.

“Unfortunately, it is very possible that asymptomatic or mild infections might also be linked to neurodevelopmental disorders in the child.”

The medical advice for pregnant women remains unchanged.

“This should be another wake-up call for pregnant women to get vaccinated, and boosted, and stay masked and take as many precautions as they can.”

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📖 (10 Jun 2022 ~ LA Times) Coronavirus infection during pregnancy linked to brain development problems in babies ➤

📖 (9 June 2022 ~ JAMA Network Open) Neurodevelopmental Outcomes at 1 Year in Infants of Mothers Who Tested Positive for SARS-CoV-2 During Pregnancy ➤

© 2022 Sumeet Kulkarni / LA Times

© 2022 LA Times.

📖 (10 Jun 2022 ~ LA Times) Coronavirus infection during pregnancy linked to brain development problems in babies ➤