COVID-19 Exposure During Pregnancy May Be Associated with Increased Autism Risk, Early Study Suggests
Boston, MA – A new study from Massachusetts General Hospital, published February 27, 2025, indicates a potential link between maternal COVID-19 infection during pregnancy and an increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children. The research, building on decades of investigation into the impact of prenatal infections on neurodevelopment, adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that viral illnesses experienced by a mother can subtly alter a developing fetus’s brain.
The findings, while preliminary, reignite a critical question first posed during the 1918 influenza pandemic – can infections contracted during pregnancy have long-term consequences for a child’s neurological advancement? This is particularly relevant as COVID-19 has impacted millions of pregnancies globally, raising concerns about potential neurodevelopmental effects in a generation of children.The study doesn’t prove causation,but it highlights a correlation that warrants further,larger-scale investigation to understand the scope and mechanisms involved.
Researchers analyzed data from electronic health records, comparing children born to mothers who tested positive for COVID-19 during pregnancy with those born to mothers who did not. The study found a slightly elevated rate of ASD diagnoses among children whose mothers had a documented COVID-19 infection.
This isn’t the first time scientists have explored the connection between prenatal infections and neurodevelopmental disorders. Previous research examining the 1918 influenza pandemic and, more recently, studies in the United kingdom and Finland, have suggested a biological basis for these links, pointing to the infection itself – rather than the societal disruptions of wartime – as a key factor.
“It isn’t simply influenza that can alter fetal neurodevelopment,” explained Dr. Kristina Adams Waldorf, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at UW Medicine. “Many types of infections… in the mother can be transmitted as a signal to the fetus, which can alter its brain development.”
The Massachusetts General Hospital study offers an early glimpse into the potential long-term effects of COVID-19 on children. Researchers emphasize that more research is needed to confirm these findings and to determine whether the observed association is causal.Future studies will focus on identifying the specific mechanisms by which maternal infection might influence fetal brain development and on determining whether interventions can mitigate any potential risks.
Edited by Paula Cohen.
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