Maternal respiratory viral infections during pregnancy and offspring's neurodevelopmental outcomes: A systematic review

Maternal infections during pregnancy, as cytomegalovirus and zika, have been consistently associated with se -vere newborn neurodevelopmental conditions, mainly related to vertical transmission and congenital infection. However, little is known about the neurodevelopmental consequences of maternal respiratory viral infections, which are the most prevalent infections during pregnancy. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has increased the interest in understanding the consequences of infections in offspring's development. This systematic review explores whether maternal gestational viral respiratory infections are associated with neurodevelopmental de-viations in children below 10 years-old. The search was conducted in Pubmed, PsychInfo and Web of Science databases. 13 articles were revised, including information about maternal infection (Influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and unspecified respiratory infections) and offspring's neurodevelopment (global development, specific functions, temperament and behavioral/emotional aspects). Controversial results were reported regarding maternal res-piratory infections during pregnancy and infants' neurodevelopment. Maternal infections seem to be associated with subtle alterations in some offspring's developmental subdomains, as early motor development, and atten-tional, behavioral/emotional minor problems. Further studies are needed to determine the impact of other psychosocial confounding factors.

Automated summary

Maternal respiratory viral infections during pregnancy may have subtle effects on offspring's neurodevelopment, particularly in areas such as early motor development and attentional and behavioral/emotional aspects. However, the results regarding the association between maternal respiratory infections and infants' neurodevelopment are controversial. Further studies are needed to consider potential confounding factors.