A recent study has explored whether COVID-19 infections during pregnancy might be connected to a higher risk of congenital heart disease (CHD) in newborns. Researchers compared two groups of pregnant women, those who had COVID-19 and those who didn’t, looking at their health, pregnancy complications, and newborn outcomes.
While most aspects, like maternal health, pregnancy complications, and newborn characteristics (such as birth weight and Apgar scores), were similar between the two groups, one key difference stood out: babies born to mothers who had COVID-19 were more likely to have heart abnormalities. About 10% of these newborns had heart issues detected on ultrasound, compared to just over 4% in the control group. Notably, most of these heart problems were seen in babies whose mothers were infected during the early stages of pregnancy, especially before 8 weeks.
The study also found that the rate of congenital heart disease has increased during the pandemic, with the highest numbers in 2023. Researchers think that the virus, or the body’s inflammatory response to it, may interfere with heart development in the womb.
This study emphasizes the importance of close monitoring during pregnancy and suggests the need for more research to better understand the connection between COVID-19 and newborn heart health.