Maternal-infant immune signatures in infants at risk for SARS-CoV-2-associated neurodevelopmental disorders
Communications Biology · 2026
Blood immune profiles of mothers and newborns exposed to SARS-CoV-2 in pregnancy showed changes that have been linked to neurodevelopmental disorders.
Research question
Are there measurable immune signatures in mothers and infants that could flag which SARS-CoV-2-exposed children are at higher risk of abnormal neurodevelopment?
Clinical & scientific significance
The authors suggest prenatal SARS-CoV-2 infection may be associated with immune dysregulation in mother and infant, offering candidate biomarkers for identifying children who may benefit from early developmental follow-up. The findings are associations and need confirmation.
Key findings reported in the paper
- The cohort had previously shown developmental delay in 11.6% of 172 exposed children versus 1.6% of 128 pre-pandemic controls.
- Positive autism spectrum disorder screens were nearly twice as frequent in 218 exposed children (10.1%) as in 527 unexposed controls (5.7%).
- 62 serum biomarkers were dysregulated in exposed newborns at risk, involving nicotinamide biosynthesis, microglial activation and neutrophil extravasation pathways.
- 34 maternal biomarkers pointed to increased apoptosis signaling in COVID-19-affected pregnancies.
| SARS-CoV-2-exposed | 10.1% (n = 218) |
|---|---|
| Unexposed controls | 5.7% (n = 527) |
Screening result, not a diagnosis. Values as reported in the abstract. Data as reported in the publication abstract.
- newborn serum biomarkers dysregulated
- 62
- maternal biomarkers linked to apoptosis signaling
- 34
Objectives
To search for candidate blood biomarkers of SARS-CoV-2-associated neurodevelopmental risk in mother-infant pairs from a prospective cohort.
Methods
Pregnant individuals with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 were enrolled in Los Angeles and Rio de Janeiro and their children were followed with standardized developmental tools. Serum proteomic profiling was performed in a subset: 34 newborns (27 exposed, 7 controls) and 51 women (33 SARS-CoV-2-positive, 18 controls).
This summary is based only on the published abstract.
Reading the immune response in blood
01
Blood samples
Maternal serum, cord blood and newborn serum.
02
Proteomic profiling
Hundreds to more than 1,400 proteins and cytokines measured at once.
03
Comparison
Exposed versus unexposed, or infants with versus without an outcome.
04
Pathway signatures
For example NF-κB inflammation, IFN-λ signaling, IL-1β/IL-18, apoptosis.
05
Candidate biomarkers
Markers that may flag infants who need closer follow-up.
Read the publication
Authors
Fajardo-Martinez V, Ferreira F, Salem GM, Saleh T, Mohole J, Fuller T, Cambou MC, Kerin T, Rao R, Zhang D, Marschik P, Wilson RB, Moreira MEL, Jung JU, Chen W, Foo SS, Brasil P, Nielsen-Saines K
Citation
Maternal-infant immune signatures in infants at risk for SARS-CoV-2-associated neurodevelopmental disorders. Commun Biol. 2026; 9(1). doi:10.1038/s42003-026-10019-z. PMID: 42014921.
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