Long-Term Outcome of Neonates and Infants whose Mothers Tested Positive for SARS-CoV-2 during Pregnancy – a Pilot of the Post-CRONOS Project

Abstract

Abstract Objective Long-term effects on infants of mothers with SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy are increasingly discussed in the literature. Besides potential neurodevelopment impairments after intrauterine SARS-CoV-2 exposure, there might be differences in the postnatal pediatric care of those children, like the timing of preventive medical examinations (PME) or vaccinations. In this first national long-term follow-up study of women included in the CRONOS registry, we describe maternal impressions of their child´s development and the prevalence of regulatory disorders, and we analyze the timing of PMEs and vaccinations. Methods 773 women who were enrolled between April 3, 2020, and August 24, 2021, in the CRONOS registry were eligible to be contacted by the study coordinators and asked to fill out a web-based questionnaire. Results 110/773 (14%) women completed the questionnaire. Their children were between the ages of 12 and 31 months (median 20 months). All mothers were satisfied with their child´s development, milestones were achieved in a timely fashion. The reported prevalence for excessive crying, sleeping, and feeding disorders was 11%, 18–32%, and 7%, respectively. PMEs were mostly not delayed, but only 54% of infants received their first vaccination within their first 60 days of life. Discussion  In summary, our exploratory findings suggest that developmental milestones in infancy are reached in time after maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy. However, there are effects on the implementation of PMEs and vaccinations.