A landmark study contradicts misinformation about brain development and conditions such as autism in children.
The COVID vaccine is safe to administer during pregnancy, UC San Francisco reports in a major finding on the vaccine’s safety in infants, despite widespread fear and misinformation.
The study, published in JAMA PediatricsThis is the first scientific investigation into whether babies are at increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders as a result of maternal vaccination.
The landmark study of more than 2,200 babies from across the country found that in utero exposure to the vaccine did not cause abnormal delays when the babies were tested at 12 months and again at 18 months.
“This is a very reassuring finding: Pregnant women have faced unanswered questions about COVID vaccines for several years,” said first author Eleni Jaswa, MD, MSc, a reproductive endocrinologist and fertility specialist at UCSF Health. noting that the investigation began in April. 2020. She is also an assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at UCSF.
First significant evidence of the safety of maternal vaccination during pregnancy
Although pregnant women are considered to be at higher risk of becoming seriously ill with COVID-19, some have chosen not to receive the COVID vaccine due to safety concerns around potential risks to their unborn children.
About 34% of study participants were vaccinated in the first trimester, about 45% in the second trimester, and almost 21% in the third trimester. They were asked to complete a 30-item questionnaire to assess whether their babies reached expected milestones.
After adjusting for factors such as maternal age, race, ethnicity, education, income, and maternal depression, the researchers found no differences in the risk of childhood neurodevelopment at either 12 or 18 months. They observed an increased risk of delay among baby boys at 12 months, but the difference was not seen at 18 months.
The study is ongoing.
“Understandably, there has been concern about the potential impact of maternal vaccination on offspring,” said lead author Heather Huddleston, MD, a reproductive endocrinologist at UCSF Health and director of the UCSF Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) Clinic.
“Despite early safety data, as well as recommendations from doctors and health organizations, hesitancy about vaccines continues to prevent their universal use,” he said. “To this day, misinformation continues to abound. People are concerned about issues such as brain development and diseases such as autism in children. This is the first significant evidence on the safety of vaccination from a neurodevelopmental point of view. of early offspring.”
Co-authors: All from UCSF, the paper’s co-authors are Marcelle Cedars, MD; Karla Lindquist, PhD; Somer Bishop, PhD; Young-Shin Kim, MD, MPH, PhD; Amy Kaing, MD; Maria Prahl, MD; Stephanie Gaw, MD, PhD; Jamie Corley, BA; Elena Hoskin, MS; Yoon Jae Cho, MD; and Elizabeth Rogers, Dr.