Pandemic-induced distress in pregnancy alters fetal brain development

Compared with infants born before the COVID-19 pandemic, those born during the pandemic had decreased fetal brain development, which researchers found was linked to higher levels of distress in women giving birth during the pandemic.
“Understanding how contemporary stressors may influence fetal brain development during pregnancy has major implications for basic science and informing public policy initiatives,” senior study author Catherine Limperopoulos, PhD, chief and director of the Developing Brain Institute at Children’s National Hospital and a professor of pediatrics and

Compared with infants born before the COVID-19 pandemic, those born during the pandemic had decreased fetal brain development, which researchers found was linked to higher levels of distress in women giving birth during the pandemic.
“Understanding how contemporary stressors may influence fetal brain development during pregnancy has major implications for basic science and informing public policy initiatives,” senior study author Catherine Limperopoulos, PhD, chief and director of the Developing Brain Institute at Children’s National Hospital and a professor of pediatrics and