Prenatal Exposure to Pandemic Milieu, Maternal SARS-CoV-2 Does Not Increase Autism Risk

THURSDAY, Sept. 26, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Children with prenatal pandemic exposure and/or exposure to maternal severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection do not have increased rates of positive Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised (M-CHAT-R) screenings, according to a study published online Sept. 23 in JAMA Network Open.

Morgan R. Firestein, Ph.D., from the Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City, and colleagues examined associations between prenatal exposure to the pandemic milieu and maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection with rates of positive M-CHAT-R screenings using data from the COVID-19 Mother Baby Outcomes (COMBO) Initiative. M-CHAT-R scores obtained from children aged 16 to 30 months during routine clinical care were abstracted from electronic health records (EHRs) for children born between January 2018 and September 2021 (COMBO-EHR cohort; 1,664 children [442 born before the pandemic; 1,222 born during the pandemic]). In addition, the M-CHAT-R was administered at 18 months for children born between February 2020 and September 2021 (COMBO-RSCH cohort; 385 children [74 born before the pandemic; 311 born during the pandemic]).

The researchers found that in the COMBO-EHR and COMBO-RSCH cohorts, prenatal pandemic exposure was not associated with a higher positive M-CHAT-R screening rate. In the COMBO-EHR cohort, prenatal exposure to maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with a lower rate of M-CHAT-R positivity (adjusted odds ratio, 0.40), but no significant association was seen in the COMBO-RSCH cohort.

“Our findings suggest that neither prenatal exposure to maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection nor prenatal exposure to the pandemic milieu is associated with likelihood of positive screening results for autism,” the authors write.

One author disclosed ties to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.

Abstract/Full Text