Fetal brain biometry and cortical development after maternal SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in pregnancy: A prospective case–control study

Abstract

Objectives To assess cerebral growth and the development of fetal cortex using neurosonography in fetuses from pregnancies experiencing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) according to infection timing. Methods Pregnancies with by SARS‐CoV‐2 during first and second trimesters were prospectively studied and matched with unaffected controls. Enclosed women underwent neurosonography at 30–34 weeks of gestation and corpus callosum (CC) and cerebellar vermis (CV) lengths measured. Further Sylvian fissure (SF), insula. Parieto‐occipital fissure (POF), and calcarine sulci fissures (CSF) depths were obtained. The ultrasonographic variables considered were normalized with fetal head size. Results One hundred and seventy four consecutive pregnancies experiencing SARS COV 2 infection (81 before 14 weeks and 93 later) and 131 not affected pregnancies were considered. General and pregnancy characteristics were similar between the three groups of women. No significant differences existed in CC and CV lengths across groups. Similarly, insula, SF, POF And CSF depth did not result changed in fetuses of affected mothers. Conclusions SARS‐CoV‐2 infection does nor resulted associate with differential fetal cortical development or brain growth in mildly symptomatic pregnant women. This information may be useful to reassure infected mothers on the health of their fetuses.

SARS-CoV-2 variant-related abnormalities detected by prenatal MRI: a prospective case–control study

“…showed in a biometry of fetal brains after SARS-CoV-2 infection using ultrasound that general brain growth and cortical development were not affected. 32 However, our findings on abnormalities in the fetal brain are based on vascular events. The latter is particularly interesting when considering the interplay in the excretion of fetally produced cholephilic organic anions, which are potentially toxic, and in the elimination of which both placenta and fetal liver play an essential role.…”

Risk factors for severe disease and impact of severity on pregnant women with COVID-19: a case–control study based on data from a nationwide survey of maternity services in Japan

“…19 It has been shown that fetal growth, cardiac function and cerebral growth are not affected by maternal infection. [20][21][22] However, there are few studies on the effects of maternal COVID-19 infection severity on the fetus, and further investigation is needed.…”

“…Pregnant women with COVID-19 have been reported to have higher anxiety levels due to concerns about negative effects on their newborns 19. It has been shown that fetal growth, cardiac function and cerebral growth are not affected by maternal infection 20–22. However, there are few studies on the effects of maternal COVID-19 infection severity on the fetus, and further investigation is needed.…”

Does diabetes mellitus affect the development of fetal brain structures and spaces including corpus callosum, subarachnoid space, insula, and parieto‐occipital fissure?

“…During neurosonographic evaluation, measurements related to the corpus callosum (CC), subarachnoid space, insula, and parieto-occipital fissure depths in the axial image are primarily used in neurosonographic research. [9][10][11][12] However, further studies are needed to comprehensively assess the fetal intracranial structures and spaces with additional planes to increase the reliability of the correlation between the detected measurement differences and structural defects, especially in women with DM, which has a remarkable potential to cause fetal brain abnormalities. 8,13 To date, no published study has undertaken an assessment of brain structures in women with DM at gestational ages beyond 20 weeks, with particular emphasis on simultaneous measurements of CC width and depth in the midsagittal image; and lateral craniocortical (LCC) and posterior craniocortical (PCC) widths of the subarachnoid space and insular and parieto-occipital fissure depths in the axial image.…”

“…The various intracranial structures and spaces, which technical advances in neurosonography have made it possible to measure, are increasingly being taken into account in the study of disorders of brain development during fetal life. During neurosonographic evaluation, measurements related to the corpus callosum (CC), subarachnoid space, insula, and parieto‐occipital fissure depths in the axial image are primarily used in neurosonographic research 9–12 . However, further studies are needed to comprehensively assess the fetal intracranial structures and spaces with additional planes to increase the reliability of the correlation between the detected measurement differences and structural defects, especially in women with DM, which has a remarkable potential to cause fetal brain abnormalities 8,13 .…”