How Much Does SARS-CoV-2 Infection during Pregnancy Affect the Neonatal Brain, Heart, and Kidney? A Parallel between COVID-19, Vaccination, and Normal Pregnancy

• Published in: Life (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2024-02, Vol.14 (2), p.224
• Main Authors: Popescu, Daniela Eugenia, Jura, Ana Maria Cristina, Știube, Dana, Ciulpan, Adrian, Stoica, Florina, Șipoș, Simona Ioana, Cîtu, Cosmin, Gorun, Florin, Boia, Mărioara
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Auditory system; Brain diseases; Brain research; COVID-19; COVID-19 vaccines; Disease transmission; Diseases; Encephalopathy; Fetuses; Heart; Heart diseases; Hemorrhage; Hospitals; Hypotheses; Hypoxia; Immunization; Infants (Newborn); Infections; infectious diseases; Ischemia; Kidney diseases; Kidneys; Medical research; Medical screening; neonatal; Neonates; Patient outcomes; Pregnancy; Pregnancy, Complications of; Risk factors; SARS-CoV-2; Sensory integration; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Statistical analysis; Ultrasonic imaging; ultrasound; Vaccination; Vaccines; Viral diseases; Viral infections; Visual perception; Womens health
• ISSN: 2075-1729; 2075-1729
• DOI: 10.3390/life14020224

During the last decades, a growing number of studies have shown that infections during pregnancy have an important impact on both pregnant women and their fetuses. Our goal was to include newborns from pregnancies with SARS-CoV-2 infection and to investigate the extension of neonatal complications using cardiac, abdominal, and cerebral ultrasonography; hearing testing; and indirect ophthalmoscopy. Likewise, neonates whose mothers were vaccinated against COVID-19 during pregnancy and those from pathology-free pregnancies were examined. A total of 458 mother-newborn dyads were included over a period of 10 months and divided into three groups: the COVID-19 group, vaccine group, and control group. Although six cardiac malformations were found in the COVID-19 group, no correlation was made compared to the vaccine and control group ( = 0.07). Grade 1 intraventricular hemorrhage and hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy were the most prevalent among neonates from mothers with SARS-CoV-2 infection ( = 0.002 and < 0.001, respectively). The kidney anomaly found to be most frequent in this group was grade 1 unilateral hydronephrosis ( < 0.001). COVID-19 disease during the gestational period had no effect on the auditory or visual function. Our findings highlight the importance of implementing proper infection control practices for future mothers, and by continuing to investigate this topic, we can gather valuable insights that will improve neonatal health in this context.