Pregnancy during the time of a pandemic can turn a beautiful, life changing experience into a scary, life changing experience. Most women while pregnant experience paranoia and worries already about getting sick, but during a pandemic this fear most likely heightens immensely. It has been noted that infection during pregnancy can negatively effect the fetus, especially if the immunological response
to the infection reaches the fetuses blood circulation supply. Some responses, such as certain antibodies, can be helpful to building the fetus’s immune system, but others, like cytokines, can harm the fetus’s development. Some studies have found that if the fetus is exposed during time of infection or if the mom has a fever in response to infection, there is a higher risk of autism diagnoses. So, the question remains, how will Covid-19 affect children whose mothers tested positive while pregnant?
What happens during infection?
Over the past year, scientists have been trying to become more familiar with the novel Covid-19 pandemic that has struck all around the world. It seems to be a bit of a difficult task, although, due to the variety of symptoms and uniqueness of each case. It has been shown in case studies of patients with Covid-19 that those who present with existing conditions (hypertension, diabetes, obesity) have a higher risk of death or longer recovery period with longer lasting symptoms. Depending on the severity of symptoms and infection, patients can experience a multitude of aspects caused by the virus. This includes a vulnerable immune system, implications to the neural system, a correlation to the hyperandrogenic phenotype, or cytokine storms. Here we will focus on the cytokine storm aspect of Covid-19. Cytokines are pro-inflammatory molecules that are activated in response to infection. In normal amounts, cytokines can be extremely important in immune responses, but at too high of an amount, they can become dangerous to the health of the patient. An interesting aspect about cytokines is that specific ones, such as IL-6, are able to cross into the placental blood supply for the fetus causing adverse neurodevelopment problems.
Covid-19 and Autism
With all of the immune responses caused by the Covid-19 virus, there are potentially complications that could be seen in the future with children whose mothers had Covid-19 during their pregnancy. A problem that could possibly be seen is a correlation in Covid-19 patients and those with autism. But, since autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is defined behaviorally, a correlation between Covid-19 during pregnancy and autism may not be determined for years when the children begin to develop social behaviors. Although, there are some similarities between Covid-19 and other viruses that have been seen to increase the risk of autism. Studies have shown that infections that have the ability to induce a cytokine storm, for example influenza, that occur during pregnancy correlate to a higher risk for autism. One study even showed that there were higher levels of cytokines in the amniotic fluid of women whose children develop autism. Noting this correlation raises the awareness that children born to mothers who had Covid-19 while pregnant and had increased cytokine levels may develop autism in their future. Scientists have already started case studies with moms who have tested positive while pregnant and their babies to hopefully have an understanding of what effects this virus has on fetuses. Even if the outcomes won’t come for years, the research will be extremely beneficial for moms and children effected.
