A prospective, longitudinal, case–control study to evaluate the neurodevelopment of children from birth to adolescence exposed to COVID-19 in utero

BMC Pediatrics

Study Protocol

Jeanie L. Y. Cheong¹  Clare Whitehead²  Joanne Said³  Atul Malhotra⁴  Vathana Sackett⁴  Michael Fahey⁴  Rod W. Hunt⁵  Katrina Williams⁶  Hayley Darke⁷  Rachel A. Hill⁸  Suresh Sundram⁹  Izaak Lim^1,10  Vesna Newman-Morris^1,10  Kirsten R. Palmer^1,11  Paulo Bignardi^1,12  Carlos Oliveira^1,12  Luiz Carlos C. Fernandes^1,12  Evelin Muraguchi^1,12 

[1] Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia;Clinical Sciences, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia;Department of Neonatal Services, Royal Women’s Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia;Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia;Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Royal Women’s Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia;Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia;Maternal Fetal Medicine, Joan Kirner Women’s & Children’s at Sunshine Hospital, Western Health, Sunshine, VIC, Australia;Department of Paediatrics, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia;Department of Paediatrics, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia;Clinical Sciences, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia;Department of Paediatrics, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia;Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia;Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia;Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash Medical Centre, Monash University, Level 3, 27-31 Wright St, 3168, Clayton, VIC, Australia;Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash Medical Centre, Monash University, Level 3, 27-31 Wright St, 3168, Clayton, VIC, Australia;Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia;Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash Medical Centre, Monash University, Level 3, 27-31 Wright St, 3168, Clayton, VIC, Australia;Mental Health Program, Monash Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia;Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash Medical Centre, Monash University, Level 3, 27-31 Wright St, 3168, Clayton, VIC, Australia;Monash Medical Centre, Early in Life Mental Health Service, Monash Health, Clayton, VIC, Australia;Monash Women’s, Monash Health, Clayton, VIC, Australia;Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia;School of Medicine, Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil;

关键词: COVID-19;    SARS-CoV2;    Pregnancy;    Neurodevelopment;    Prospective;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12887-023-03858-w

 received in 2022-04-13, accepted in 2023-01-19,  发布年份 2023

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThe Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has created unprecedented acute global health challenges. However, it also presents a set of unquantified and poorly understood risks in the medium to long term, specifically, risks to children whose mothers were infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) during pregnancy. Infections during pregnancy can increase the risk of atypical neurodevelopment in the offspring, but the long-term neurodevelopmental impact of in utero COVID-19 exposure is unknown. Prospective, longitudinal studies are needed to evaluate children exposed in utero to SARS-CoV2 to define this risk.MethodsWe have designed a prospective, case-controlled study to investigate the long-term impacts of SARS-CoV2 exposure on children exposed in utero. Women infected with SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy will be recruited from Monash Health, the Royal Women’s Hospital and Western Health (Melbourne, Australia) and Londrina Municipal Maternity Hospital Lucilla Ballalai and PUCPR Medical Clinical (Londrina, Brazil). A control group in a 2:1 ratio (2 non-exposed: 1 exposed mother infant dyad) comprising women who gave birth in the same month of delivery, are of similar age but did not contract SARS-CoV-2 during their pregnancy will also be recruited. We aim to recruit 170 exposed and 340 non-exposed mother-infant dyads. Clinical and socio-demographic data will be collected directly from the mother and medical records. Biospecimens and clinical and epidemiological data will be collected from the mothers and offspring at multiple time points from birth through to 15 years of age using standardised sample collection, and neurological and behavioural measures.DiscussionThe mapped neurodevelopmental trajectories and comparisons between SARS-CoV-2 exposed and control children will indicate the potential for an increase in atypical neurodevelopment. This has significant implications for strategic planning in the mental health and paediatrics sectors and long-term monitoring of children globally.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s) 2023