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Full-term babies born to mothers infected with COVID-19 during pregnancy face a threefold higher risk of respiratory distress, even if the infants themselves are not infected with the virus, according to a study published in the journal Nature Communications. The risk significantly decreases when mothers who were infected during pregnancy were previously vaccinated.
The study, led by Dr. Karin Nielsen, Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California-Los Angeles, found elevated rates of respiratory distress in full-term infants born to mothers who had COVID-19 during pregnancy, particularly among those who were unvaccinated. The research emphasized that vaccination prior to infection protects against this complication.
Using proteomics to analyze protein structure and functions affecting cells, the researchers traced the development of respiratory distress following in-utero exposure to SARS-CoV-2. The exposed infants showed abnormal functioning of motile cilia, whip-like structures that assist in clearing mucus from the respiratory tract. Additionally, they exhibited higher production of antibodies called immunoglobulin E (IgE).
Among the 221 mothers enrolled in the study, 68% were unvaccinated before infection, with severe or critical COVID-19 present in 16% of these women. Of the 199 exposed infants, 17% experienced respiratory distress, a notably higher frequency compared to the general, unexposed population. Infants born to unvaccinated mothers with severe or critical COVID-19 showed a higher incidence of respiratory distress.
The study revealed that even a single mRNA vaccine dose before infection significantly reduced the odds of full-term infants developing respiratory distress. The findings underscore the importance of vaccination to mitigate the risk of adverse outcomes in newborns exposed to SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy.
