Publication date: Sep 10, 2025
The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented global challenges. Amid the crisis, the potential impact of COVID-19 exposure on the neurodevelopment of offspring born to infected mothers emerged as a critical concern. This is a prospective cohort study of pregnant women and their offspring enrolled in the Signature project at Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio in Seville, Spain, between 01/01/2024 and 08/31/2022. Participants were subsequently classified into SARS-CoV-2 exposed (mild or severe COVID-19) and non-exposed groups. Maternal stress was assessed through the Perceived Stress Scale; offspring neurodevelopment was screened through Ages & Stages Questionnaire, 3rd Edition (ASQ-3) at 6 months and 12 months. Association between COVID-19 severity and neurodevelopmental outcomes were analyzed with univariate and multivariate analysis. The cohort included 689 women categorized into three distinct groups based on COVID-19 severity: non-infected mothers (N = 277), mothers with mild COVID-19 (N = 358), and mothers with severe COVID-19 (N = 54). The reference category for the odds ratio (OR) analyses was the non-infected group. In utero exposure to mild or severe COVID-19, as well as maternal stress, was not significantly associated with risk of developmental concern in any ASQ-3 subdomain at 12-month follow-up. This study highlights the need for further research with longer follow-up periods to better understand the potential long-term impact of prenatal COVID-19 exposure on offspring neurodevelopment.
Open Access PDF
| Concepts | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Neurodevelopment | COVID-19 |
| Pandemic | Maternal stress |
| Pregnancy | Neurodevelopment |
| Universitario | Pregnancy |
| SARS-CoV-2 |
Semantics
| Type | Source | Name |
|---|---|---|
| disease | MESH | COVID-19 |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Tropicamide |
| disease | MESH | Long Covid |
| disease | MESH | infection |
| disease | MESH | viral infections |
| disease | MESH | Influenza |
| disease | MESH | syndrome |
| disease | MESH | anxiety |
| disease | MESH | depressive symptoms |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Trestolone |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Coenzyme M |
| disease | MESH | neurodevelopmental disorders |
| disease | IDO | susceptibility |
| disease | MESH | psychosis |
| disease | MESH | autism |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Indoleacetic acid |
| disease | MESH | morbidity |
| disease | MESH | infectious diseases |
| disease | IDO | assay |
| disease | IDO | history |
| disease | MESH | housing insecurity |
| disease | MESH | Clinical progression |
| disease | MESH | sore throat |
| disease | MESH | pneumonia |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Oxygen |
| disease | MESH | acute respiratory distress syndrome |
| disease | MESH | Critical Illness |
| disease | MESH | sepsis |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Cysteamine |
| disease | MESH | tic |
| disease | MESH | maternal education level |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Water |