Exploring the impact of COVID-19 on newborn neurodevelopment: a pilot study
Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic can seize the opportunity to explore the hypothesis of prenatal exposure to viral infections increases the risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. Advancing our knowledge in this regard would improve primary prevention of mental disorders in children. For this pilot stu...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2023-02-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-29680-z |
| _version_ | 1797864743072956416 |
|---|---|
| author | Rosa Ayesa-Arriola Águeda Castro Quintas Víctor Ortiz-García de la Foz Margarita Miguel Corredera Nerea San Martín González Nancy Murillo-García Karl Neergaard Lourdes Fañanás Saura Isabel de las Cuevas-Terán |
| author_facet | Rosa Ayesa-Arriola Águeda Castro Quintas Víctor Ortiz-García de la Foz Margarita Miguel Corredera Nerea San Martín González Nancy Murillo-García Karl Neergaard Lourdes Fañanás Saura Isabel de las Cuevas-Terán |
| author_sort | Rosa Ayesa-Arriola |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic can seize the opportunity to explore the hypothesis of prenatal exposure to viral infections increases the risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. Advancing our knowledge in this regard would improve primary prevention of mental disorders in children. For this pilot study, six-week-old infants born to mothers exposed (n = 21) or unexposed (n = 21) to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) were assessed in Santander-Cantabria (Spain) using the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS). Groups comparisons were performed to explore the effects that infection and timing of exposure (in terms of the three trimesters of pregnancy). The infants’ competencies and performances on the NBAS were generally similar in the exposed and unexposed to SARS-CoV-2 groups. The most significant difference found was a less optimally response to cuddliness (item on the state regulation domain) particularly in infants born to mothers exposed in the third trimester of pregnancy, and in pull-to-sit (item on the motor system domain). Although our interpretations must be careful, these preliminary results highlight the possible association between prenatal SARS-CoV-2 exposure and poorer development in motor skills and infant interactive behavior. Further longitudinal studies are needed to explore these relationships and disentangle the biological mechanisms implicated. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T22:57:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2fa81e0fd2d04922820d7d298dd5a061 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T22:57:02Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-2fa81e0fd2d04922820d7d298dd5a0612023-03-22T11:10:08ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222023-02-011311810.1038/s41598-023-29680-zExploring the impact of COVID-19 on newborn neurodevelopment: a pilot studyRosa Ayesa-Arriola0Águeda Castro Quintas1Víctor Ortiz-García de la Foz2Margarita Miguel Corredera3Nerea San Martín González4Nancy Murillo-García5Karl Neergaard6Lourdes Fañanás Saura7Isabel de las Cuevas-Terán8University of CantabriaDepartment of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences (BEECA), Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB)Centro Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM)Mental Illnesses Research Unit, Marqués de Valdecilla Research Institute, IDIVALDepartment of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences (BEECA), Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB)University of CantabriaMental Illnesses Research Unit, Marqués de Valdecilla Research Institute, IDIVALDepartment of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences (BEECA), Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB)University of CantabriaAbstract The COVID-19 pandemic can seize the opportunity to explore the hypothesis of prenatal exposure to viral infections increases the risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. Advancing our knowledge in this regard would improve primary prevention of mental disorders in children. For this pilot study, six-week-old infants born to mothers exposed (n = 21) or unexposed (n = 21) to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) were assessed in Santander-Cantabria (Spain) using the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS). Groups comparisons were performed to explore the effects that infection and timing of exposure (in terms of the three trimesters of pregnancy). The infants’ competencies and performances on the NBAS were generally similar in the exposed and unexposed to SARS-CoV-2 groups. The most significant difference found was a less optimally response to cuddliness (item on the state regulation domain) particularly in infants born to mothers exposed in the third trimester of pregnancy, and in pull-to-sit (item on the motor system domain). Although our interpretations must be careful, these preliminary results highlight the possible association between prenatal SARS-CoV-2 exposure and poorer development in motor skills and infant interactive behavior. Further longitudinal studies are needed to explore these relationships and disentangle the biological mechanisms implicated.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-29680-z |
| spellingShingle | Rosa Ayesa-Arriola Águeda Castro Quintas Víctor Ortiz-García de la Foz Margarita Miguel Corredera Nerea San Martín González Nancy Murillo-García Karl Neergaard Lourdes Fañanás Saura Isabel de las Cuevas-Terán Exploring the impact of COVID-19 on newborn neurodevelopment: a pilot study Scientific Reports |
| title | Exploring the impact of COVID-19 on newborn neurodevelopment: a pilot study |
| title_full | Exploring the impact of COVID-19 on newborn neurodevelopment: a pilot study |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the impact of COVID-19 on newborn neurodevelopment: a pilot study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the impact of COVID-19 on newborn neurodevelopment: a pilot study |
| title_short | Exploring the impact of COVID-19 on newborn neurodevelopment: a pilot study |
| title_sort | exploring the impact of covid 19 on newborn neurodevelopment a pilot study |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-29680-z |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rosaayesaarriola exploringtheimpactofcovid19onnewbornneurodevelopmentapilotstudy AT aguedacastroquintas exploringtheimpactofcovid19onnewbornneurodevelopmentapilotstudy AT victorortizgarciadelafoz exploringtheimpactofcovid19onnewbornneurodevelopmentapilotstudy AT margaritamiguelcorredera exploringtheimpactofcovid19onnewbornneurodevelopmentapilotstudy AT nereasanmartingonzalez exploringtheimpactofcovid19onnewbornneurodevelopmentapilotstudy AT nancymurillogarcia exploringtheimpactofcovid19onnewbornneurodevelopmentapilotstudy AT karlneergaard exploringtheimpactofcovid19onnewbornneurodevelopmentapilotstudy AT lourdesfananassaura exploringtheimpactofcovid19onnewbornneurodevelopmentapilotstudy AT isabeldelascuevasteran exploringtheimpactofcovid19onnewbornneurodevelopmentapilotstudy |