Neuromotor repertoires in infants exposed to maternal COVID-19 during pregnancy: a cohort study
BMJ Open · 2023
Infants exposed to COVID-19 before birth more often showed suboptimal early motor development than matched pre-pandemic infants.
Research question
Do infants exposed to antenatal COVID-19 differ in neuromotor repertoires and early milestones from unexposed infants?
Clinical & scientific significance
Compared with pre-pandemic controls, infants exposed to antenatal COVID-19 more frequently had suboptimal neuromotor development, supporting early developmental surveillance.
Key findings reported in the paper
- 239 infants enrolled: 124 cases (83 USA / 41 Brazil) and 115 controls.
- Median MOS-R was 23 in exposed infants vs 25 in controls (p < 0.001); 16 exposed infants (14%) scored below 20 vs none of the controls.
- At 6–8 months, 13 of 109 exposed infants (12%) had not reached developmental milestones; all 115 controls developed normally.
- Trimester of infection and COVID-19 severity were not associated with outcomes; maternal fever was associated with developmental delay (OR 3.7).
| Exposed to maternal COVID-19 | 12% (13 / 109) |
|---|---|
| Pre-pandemic controls | 0% (0 / 115) |
Values as reported in the abstract. Data as reported in the publication abstract.
- infants enrolled (USA & Brazil)
- 239
- exposed infants with MOS-R < 20 (controls: 0%)
- 14%
Objectives
To evaluate Motor Optimality Scores (MOS-R) at 3–5 months and developmental delay at 6–8 months.
Methods
Hospital-based cohort in Los Angeles and Rio de Janeiro (March 2020–December 2021). General Movement Assessment videos at 3–5 months post-term; clinical assessment at 6–8 months. Cases matched by gestational age, sex and age to pre-pandemic controls from the Graz University database.
This summary is based only on the published abstract.
How infant neurodevelopment is assessed in these studies
01
3–5 months
Video recording of spontaneous movements scored with the Motor Optimality Score-Revised (MOS-R).
02
6–8 months
Clinical assessment of developmental milestones.
03
Bayley-III
Cognitive, motor and language domains; delay defined as a score below 70.
04
ASQ-3
Parent questionnaire across five domains; delay = score below the cut-off.
Read the publication
Authors
Fajardo Martinez V, Zhang D, Paiola S, Mok T, Cambou MC, Kerin T, Rao R, Brasil P, Ferreira F, Fuller T, Bhattacharya D, Foo SS, Chen W, Jung J, Einspieler C, Marschik PB, Nielsen-Saines K
Citation
Neuromotor repertoires in infants exposed to maternal COVID-19 during pregnancy: a cohort study. BMJ Open. 2023; 13(1):e069194. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2022-069194. PMID: 36690405.
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