UNDATED (WKRC) – A new study’s research shows that children of mothers who had COVID-19 during pregnancy were more likely to have developmental disorders, including autism.
PEOPLE reported that the study by researchers from Mass General Brigham, published in Obstetrics & Gynecology, examined 18,124 babies born between March 1, 2020, and May 31, 2021.
It found that 16.3 percent of mothers who had a COVID infection during pregnancy had children diagnosed with a developmental disorder by age three, and only 9.7% of children whose mothers did not record a COVID infection were diagnosed with such disorders by the same age, according to PEOPLE‘s report of the study.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that pregnant women are more likely to experience severe illness from COVID-19, which can lead to complications affecting both the pregnancy and the baby.