Contracting COVID-19 while pregnant could lead to a higher risk of obesity for the child: study
Contracting COVID-19 while pregnant could lead to a higher risk of obesity for the child: study
A small study is presenting evidence suggesting a strange possible outcome of a COVID-19 infection during pregnancy: higher risk of obesity for the child.
Specifically, researchers observed a pattern of U.S. women who had COVID-19 at some point during their pregnancy and gave birth to infants with a lower initial weight, who then gained weight much faster than other babies.
“Our findings suggest that children exposed in utero to maternal COVID-19 have an altered growth pattern in early life that may increase their risk of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease over time,” Lindsay T. Fourman, a doctor with Massachusetts General Hospital and one of the study authors, said in a press release. “There is still a lot of research needed to understand the effects of COVID-19 on pregnant women and their children.”
While previous studies have looked into the impacts of COVID-19 on pregnant people and found that they are more likely to experience severe disease compared to non-pregnant people with COVID-19, the impacts of the virus on the infant is still largely unknown.
In order to assess the impacts of COVID-19 during pregnancy on the infants, researchers looked at just under 280 infants who were born during the pandemic prior to June 2021 and had received care at the Massachusetts General Hospital.
Infants were not included in the study if their mother had received a vaccination during pregnancy or had unclear vaccination status.
Around 150 infants in the study had mothers who contracted COVID-19 at some point in their pregnancy, while around 130 infants were carried by mothers with a COVID-free pregnancy. All were at least 12 months of age when researchers carried out data collection and analysis.
Most of the mothers in the study who had contracted COVID-19 had a mild disease in their third trimester.
Exposure to COVID-19 in-utero was associated with a lower birth weight even when researchers controlled for aspects such as maternal age, ethnicity and socioeconomic factors such as insurance status. The same was true for the infants’ patterns of weight gain over the first year of their lives, with in-utero exposure to the virus associated with a different pattern than the control group, along with more weight gain.
The absolute difference in the weight gain between infants with in-utero exposure to the virus and those without was small, but researchers say a trend was still clear.
It’s unclear what impact this early weight gain will have for this cohort of children and whether it will be consequential or not, although the study noted that “lower birth weight and accelerated postnatal weight gain are risk factors for cardiometabolic disease.”
It’s important to note that this research is constrained by the short amount of time that has passed since the first relevant study group was born, meaning that it’s also going to be unclear for a while whether this trend continues into childhood or whether larger studies will find the same results.
But as countries leave behind public health measures, more pregnant people are being exposed to COVID-19, leaving unknown impacts that call for further monitoring and research in the future.
Pregnant women made up around nine per cent of reproductive-aged women with SARS-CoV-2 infections in the U.S., according to a 2020 study referenced by researchers.
Although data is limited across Canada, there had been at least 9,000 instances of a pregnant person contracting COVID-19 in Canada as of January 2022, according to a tracker run by the University of British Columbia.
These figures together suggest that thousands of babies worldwide may be born to parents who had the virus at some point during pregnancy.
“Our findings emphasize the importance of long-term follow-up of children exposed in utero to maternal COVID-19 infection, as well as widespread implementation of COVID-19 prevention strategies among pregnant individuals,” Andrea G. Edlow, a doctor with the Massachusetts General Hospital and another study author, said in the release. “Larger studies with longer follow-up duration are needed to confirm these associations.”
Sign up to receive the most important updates in your inbox two times a week
This undated electron microscope image made available by the U.S. National Institutes of Health in February 2020 shows the Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, orange, emerging from the surface of cells, green, cultured in the lab. (NIAID-RML via AP)
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is pushing for special rapporteur David Johnston to 'step aside' from his role examining the issue of foreign interference before he embarks on public hearings.
New Democrat MP Jenny Kwan said Monday that Canada's spy agency has confirmed her long-held belief she is being targeted by the Chinese government, as the prime minister granted the NDP's wish to allow more party members to review top-secret intelligence.
William Karlsson, William Carrier and Jonathan Marchessault are finally getting another chance in the Stanley Cup Final, after the first one that came so quick for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Eastern Conference finals Most Valuable Player Jimmy Butler scored 28 points, and Caleb Martin had 26 points and 10 rebounds to help the eighth-seeded Miami Heat beat the Celtics 103-84 in Game 7 on Monday night and advance to the NBA Finals for the second time in four seasons.
Canadian political leaders and parliamentarians are denouncing a new law passed in Uganda that imposes harsh penalties, including the death penalty, for certain cases involving homosexuality.
There's a heightened risk of wildfires across the country during what has been one of the earliest fire seasons on record. From British Columbia to Nova Scotia, here's where the risk is highest.
New research from Penn State University found certain factors can contribute to reducing what’s known as the 'urban heat island' effect, and that climate knowledge can contribute to better city planning and design.
A former Ontario cabinet minister is suing the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and unidentified employees who he alleges leaked classified information with the intent of harming his reputation.
A Quebec driver who caused the death of another motorist when he swerved his truck to avoid hitting a family of ducks on the road has been sentenced to eight months in jail and a three-year driving ban.
The body of a Winnipeg boy who fell into Sturgeon Falls on Saturday has been found following a desperate underwater search that lasted more than a day.
Nine people were injured Monday evening when gunfire erupted along a beach boardwalk in Hollywood, Florida, sending people frantically running for cover along the crowded beach on Memorial Day.
Bangladesh should not bear the burden of more than 1 million Rohingya refugees alone while UN agencies are facing challenges to feed them, a United Nations official said Monday.
The NATO-led KFOR peacekeeping force on Monday said that 25 of its troops were injured in the clashes with ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo who were trying to take over the offices of one of the municipalities where ethnic Albanian mayors took up their posts last week.
Police fired tear gas and demonstrators burned cars Monday near the home of Senegal's main opposition leader, as tensions rise in the capital days before a court verdict is expected on charges against the politician.
Malaysia's maritime agency said Monday it found a cannon shell believed to be from World War II on a Chinese-registered vessel and was investigating if the barge carrier was involved in the looting of two British warship wrecks in the South China Sea.
U.S. President Joe Biden lauded the sacrifice of generations of U.S. troops who died fighting for their country as he marked Memorial Day with the traditional wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is pushing for special rapporteur David Johnston to 'step aside' from his role examining the issue of foreign interference before he embarks on public hearings.
Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez said Monday he is starting to review the mandate for CBC and its French-language service Radio-Canada, including ways the government can bolster funding to the public broadcaster so it is less reliant on advertising dollars.
Public Services and Procurement Minister Helena Jaczek says the Liberal government expects to have a plan for the future of 24 Sussex Drive by the fall.
Three national health organizations want Canada's premiers to push for initiatives to reduce smoking during settlement negotiations with major tobacco companies, years after provinces sued to recoup health-care costs.
Artificial intelligence means everyone can now be a computer programmer as all they need to do is speak to the computer, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said on Monday, hailing the end of the 'digital divide.'
North Korea on Monday notified neighbouring Japan that it plans to launch a satellite in coming days, which may be an attempt to put Pyongyang's first military reconnaissance satellite into orbit.
China plans to land astronauts on the moon before 2030, in what would be another advance in what's increasingly seen as a new space race pitting the Asian autocracy against the United States and its democratic allies.
Quebec actor Michel Cote, who captivated audiences with his roles in the theatre piece 'Broue' and films such as 'Cruising Bar' and C.R.A.Z.Y.,' has died at 72.
George Maharis, a stage-trained actor with rough-hewn good looks who became an icon to American youth in the 1960s as he cruised the country in a Corvette convertible in the hit television series 'Route 66,' has died.
Turkiye's lira hit fresh record lows against the dollar on Monday, though stocks rallied, after President Tayyip Erdogan secured victory in Sunday's presidential election, extending his increasingly authoritarian rule into a third decade.
Canada's main stock index ticked upwards Monday, with broad-based gains led by battery metals and energy stock as U.S. markets were closed for a long weekend south of the border.
The reviews are starting to come in as details emerge about the debt ceiling agreement reached by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Animated movies are often a child’s first exposure to media and film. And the representation of people of color in media influences how they feel about race as they mature, a study by the non-profit Common Sense has found.
From actions in their local communities to mass demonstrations, here's how Canadians from all walks of life are inspiring others to take part in helping the environment.
Authors discuss their new book, 'Sorry, Sorry, Sorry: The Case for Good Apologies,' which aims to demystify the process of delivering honest apologies.
William Karlsson, William Carrier and Jonathan Marchessault are finally getting another chance in the Stanley Cup Final, after the first one that came so quick for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Eastern Conference finals Most Valuable Player Jimmy Butler scored 28 points, and Caleb Martin had 26 points and 10 rebounds to help the eighth-seeded Miami Heat beat the Celtics 103-84 in Game 7 on Monday night and advance to the NBA Finals for the second time in four seasons.
The Philadelphia 76ers went all-in with their NBA championship pursuit on Monday, selecting veteran Nick Nurse as their new coach to try to win the franchise's first title since 1983.
Fernando Alonso has five podiums in six races in a remarkable season for Aston Martin, yet still feels he's no closer to catching Red Bull's Max Verstappen. The two-time Formula One champions now head to a race with special significance for both of them.
Formula One champion Max Verstappen's lights-to-flag victory at the Monaco Grand gave the Red Bull driver his fourth victory of the season and a record 39th overall for the team as he extended his championship lead to 39 points over teammate Sergio Perez on Sunday.
A Tennessee company is refusing demands from U.S. regulators to recall millions of vehicles due to airbag inflators that can explode and shoot shrapnel into drivers. While cases are rare, there has been at least one death in Canada, where officials lack the authority to demand a similarly sweeping recall.
