COVID-19 As Risk Factor

 In The Politics of Autism, I discuss various ideas about what causes the condition.

A release from Mass General Brigham:

Children born to mothers who had COVID-19 while pregnant face an elevated risk of developmental disorders by the time they turn 3 years old, including speech delays, autism, motor disorders, and other developmental delays, according to new research by investigators at Mass General Brigham. The findings are published in Obstetrics & Gynecology.

“These findings highlight that COVID-19, like many other infections in pregnancy, may pose risks not only to the mother, but to fetal brain development,” said senior author Andrea Edlow, MD MSc, a Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Mass General Brigham. “They also support the importance of trying to prevent COVID-19 infection in pregnancy and are particularly relevant when public trust in vaccines—including the COVID-19 vaccine—is being eroded.”

Other maternal infections during pregnancy have been linked with risk for a range of neurodevelopmental diseases during childhood, and animal studies have shown that immune activation during pregnancy disrupts normal fetal brain development and offspring behavior. To assess the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy, investigators analyzed data on 18,124 live births at Mass General Brigham within the peak COVID-19 window of March 2020 to May 2021.

The investigators studied 18,124 mother-child pairs. Among the 861 children whose mothers were SARS-CoV-2–positive during pregnancy, 140 (16.3%) received a neurodevelopmental diagnosis by 3 years of age, compared with 1,680 (9.7%) of the 17,263 remaining children from SARS-CoV-2–negative pregnancies. After adjusting for other influencing factors, SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy was associated with 29% higher odds of a neurodevelopmental condition in children.

The investigators also found that males were at higher risk than females. Risk was greatest when infection occurred during the third trimester of pregnancy.

While reducing risk is important, co-senior author Roy Perlis, MD, MSc, of the Mass General Brigham Department of Psychiatry, noted, “The overall risk of adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in exposed children likely remains low.”

First author and Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist Lydia Shook, MD, added, “Parental awareness of the potential for adverse child neurodevelopmental outcomes after COVID-19 in pregnancy is key. By understanding the risks, parents can appropriately advocate for their children to have proper evaluation and support.”

Here is a long. growing, and probably incomplete list of other correlates, risk factors, and possible causes that have been the subject of serious studies: 

1. Inflammatory bowel disease;
2. Pesticides;
3. Air pollution and proximity to freeways;
4. Maternal thyroid issues;
5. Autoimmune disorders;
6. Induced labor;
7. Preterm birth;
8. Fever;  
9. Birth by cesarean section;
10. Anesthesia during cesarean sections;
11. Maternal and paternal obesity;
12. Maternal diabetes;
13. Maternal and paternal age;
14. Grandparental age;
15. Maternal post-traumatic stress disorder;
16. Maternal anorexia;
17. Smoking during pregnancy;
18. Cannabis use during pregnancy;
19. Antidepressant use during pregnancy;
20. Polycystic ovary syndrome;
21. Infant opioid withdrawal;
22. Zinc deficiency;
23. Sulfate deficiency;
24. Processed foods;
25. Maternal occupational exposure to solvents;
26. Congenital heart disease;
27. Insufficient placental allopregnanolone.
28. Estrogen in the womb;
29. Morning sickness;
30. Paternal family history;
31. Parental preterm birth;
32. Antiseizure meds
33. Location of forebears
34. Lithium
35. Aspartame
36. BPA
37. Brain inflammation
38. Maternal asthma
39. Infertility
40. Ultraprocessed foods
41. Household chemicals
42. Parental psychiatric disorders
43. Fluoride
44. Fatty acids in umbilical cord blood
45. Maternal inflammation during pregnancy