TY - JOUR
T1 - Transient Early Fine Motor Abnormalities in Infants Born to COVID-19 Mothers Are Associated With Placental Hypoxia and Ischemia
AU - Liu, Huan Yu
AU - Guo, Juanjuan
AU - Zeng, Chang
AU - Cao, Yuming
AU - Ran, Ruoxi
AU - Wu, Tiancheng
AU - Yang, Guifang
AU - Zhao, Dongchi
AU - Yang, Pu
AU - Yu, Xuechen
AU - Zhang, Wei
AU - Liu, Song Mei
AU - Zhang, Yuanzhen
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors thank all patients and clinical staff at Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, China. We would like to appreciate Professor Yang Guan (Department of Pathology, Renmin Hospital, Wuhan University) and Doctor Hong Cao (Department of Pathology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University) for critical pathology review.
Funding Information:
This study was supported partially by Hubei Provincial Science and Technology Department Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia Emergency Science and Technology Project (Grant No. 2020FCA011), Wuhan Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia Emergency Science and Technology Tackling Key Project (Grant No. 2020020201010011), Health Commission of Hubei Province Scientific Research Project (Grant No. WJ2019C002).
Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2022 Liu, Guo, Zeng, Cao, Ran, Wu, Yang, Zhao, Yang, Yu, Zhang, Liu and Zhang.
PY - 2022/1/6
Y1 - 2022/1/6
N2 - Background: Long-term effects of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on infants born to infected mothers are not clear. Fine motor skills are crucial for the development of infant emotional regulation, learning ability and social skills. Methods: Clinical information of 100 infants born to 98 mothers (COVID-19 n = 31, non-COVID-19 n = 67) were collected. Infants were follow-up up to 9 months post-partum. The placental tissues were examined for SARS-CoV-2 infection, pathological changes, cytokines, and mtDNA content. Results: Decreased placental oxygen and nutrient transport capacity were found in infected pregnant women. Increased IL-2, IL-6, TNF-α, and IFN-γ were detected in trophoblast cells and maternal blood of COVID-19 placentas. Elevated early fine motor abnormal-ities and increased serum TNI (troponin I) levels at delivery were observed in infants born to mothers with COVID-19. Increased abnormal mitochondria and elevated mtDNA content were found in the placentas from infected mothers. The placental mtDNA content of three infants with abnormal DDST were increased by 4, 7, and 10%, respectively, compared to the mean of the COVID-19 group. The Maternal Vascular Malperfusion (MVM), elevated cytokines and increased placental mtDNA content in mothers with COVID-19 might be associated with transient early fine motor abnormalities in infants. These abnormalities are only temporary, and they could be corrected by daily training. Conclusions: Babies born to COVID-19 mothers with mild symptoms appeared to have little or no excess long-term risks of abnormal physical and neurobehavioral development as compared with the infants delivered by non-COVID-19 mothers.
AB - Background: Long-term effects of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on infants born to infected mothers are not clear. Fine motor skills are crucial for the development of infant emotional regulation, learning ability and social skills. Methods: Clinical information of 100 infants born to 98 mothers (COVID-19 n = 31, non-COVID-19 n = 67) were collected. Infants were follow-up up to 9 months post-partum. The placental tissues were examined for SARS-CoV-2 infection, pathological changes, cytokines, and mtDNA content. Results: Decreased placental oxygen and nutrient transport capacity were found in infected pregnant women. Increased IL-2, IL-6, TNF-α, and IFN-γ were detected in trophoblast cells and maternal blood of COVID-19 placentas. Elevated early fine motor abnormal-ities and increased serum TNI (troponin I) levels at delivery were observed in infants born to mothers with COVID-19. Increased abnormal mitochondria and elevated mtDNA content were found in the placentas from infected mothers. The placental mtDNA content of three infants with abnormal DDST were increased by 4, 7, and 10%, respectively, compared to the mean of the COVID-19 group. The Maternal Vascular Malperfusion (MVM), elevated cytokines and increased placental mtDNA content in mothers with COVID-19 might be associated with transient early fine motor abnormalities in infants. These abnormalities are only temporary, and they could be corrected by daily training. Conclusions: Babies born to COVID-19 mothers with mild symptoms appeared to have little or no excess long-term risks of abnormal physical and neurobehavioral development as compared with the infants delivered by non-COVID-19 mothers.
KW - COVID-19
KW - fine motor skills
KW - infants
KW - physical and neurobehavioral development
KW - placental mtDNA
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U2 - 10.3389/fped.2021.793561
DO - 10.3389/fped.2021.793561
M3 - Article
C2 - 35071136
AN - SCOPUS:85123212643
SN - 2296-2360
VL - 9
JO - Frontiers in Pediatrics
JF - Frontiers in Pediatrics
M1 - 793561
ER -