A recent study sheds light on how, in a few rare instances, coronavirus may have caused brain damage in infants who, it appears, contracted the infection inside the womb of their pregnant moms. The researchers assert that this is the first study to confirm cross-placental SARS-Cov-2 transmission resulting in brain damage in the baby, despite the fact that experts have frequently expressed doubt.
In two confirmed cases, the SARS-CoV-2 virus passed a mother’s placenta and resulted in brain damage in the infants, according to a study from the University of Miami that was published on Thursday in the journal Pediatrics.
At the peak of the Delta wave of the pandemic in 2020, young moms who gave birth to newborns had tested positive for the virus during their second trimester. Even before the Covid vaccinations were accessible, this happened.
The newborns were found to have tested negative for the virus at delivery
The data in the study “Maternal SARS-CoV-2, Placental Changes and Brain Injury in 2 Neonates” also “raises the possibility” that the coronavirus might be able to directly infect the fetal brain.
The study provided case-specific information. The newborns who were admitted to Holtz Children’s Hospital at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center were found to have tested negative for the virus at delivery, according to the information.
However, their findings indicated a considerable increase in SARS-CoV-2 antibodies that could be seen in blood. According to the findings, either the antibodies crossed the placenta or the virus passed through and the baby’s immune system responded.
The study also showed that one infant passed away at the age of 13 months and that both infants had developmental deficits, small heads, and epilepsy.
Numerous viruses, including the Cytomegalovirus, Rubella, HIV, and Zika, have been shown to penetrate the placenta and harm developing fetuses’ brains
Dr. Michael Paidas, head of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Miami, was reported by the news agency Reuters as saying at the briefing: “This is the first time we have been able to demonstrate the virus in a fetal organ with the transplacental passage. That is why we consider this to be so crucial.
As quoted by Inventum, Shahnaz Duara, who is the professor of pediatrics at the Miller School of Medicine, and medical director of the NICU at Holtz Children’s Hospital said, “Many women are affected by COVID-19 during pregnancy, but to see these kinds of problems in their infants at birth was clearly unusual.”Â
Duara, who is also the senior author of the study, further noted: “We are trying to understand what made these two pregnancies different so we can direct research toward protecting vulnerable babies.”Â
Numerous viruses, including the Cytomegalovirus, Rubella, HIV, and Zika, have been shown to penetrate the placenta and harm developing fetuses’ brains.
