No link between COVID vaccines and infection during pregnancy and developmental delays in toddlers

Women who got COVID-19 or were vaccinated during pregnancy do not have a higher risk of having children with developmental problems, according to a major new study from Scotland.

Previous research in Switzerland and the United States offered some reassurance, but the new study, published in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health journal on Wednesday, is the largest analysis to date to confirm the safety of the vaccine for pregnant women and their babies.

The study included nearly 25,000 babies born in Scotland in 2020 and 2021.

Health workers visited the families’ homes for routine checks when the babies were 13 to 15 months old, monitoring any concerns with speech, language skills, thinking, emotional development, and physical movement.

Researchers from the University of Edinburgh then tracked their mothers’ health histories – and found no link between COVID-19 infection or vaccination during pregnancy and child development issues.

The findings held up regardless of which trimester the mothers were vaccinated or infected.

The researchers said the results should bolster parents’ confidence in the safety of the jabs, especially given that early COVID-19 vaccine trials excluded pregnant women.

“Vaccination safety is something that has been called into question quite a lot recently,” Bonnie Auyeung, the study’s senior author and a reader in child health at the University of Edinburgh, told Euronews Health.

“Hopefully these early findings will support parents and their decisions around whether or not to take the vaccine, and for those who do take it, it does appear that it is safe for the developing child”.

Developmental issues more evident in older children

According to the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which regulates drugs and vaccines in the European Union, COVID-19 vaccines do not raise the risk of pregnancy complications, miscarriage, premature birth, or health issues for babies.

Notably, women who get COVID-19 during pregnancy are more likely to fall seriously ill, especially in the second and third trimesters, the agency says.

The study authors noted that developmental concerns aren’t always noticed until children are older.

They said they plan to follow the same families in the coming years to track whether a link emerges. However, for now, the findings should help bolster guidance from doctors and other medical professionals that the vaccine is safe for pregnant women and their babies.

“Clinical guidance is still quite mixed,” Auyeung said, but “it does appear that vaccination during pregnancy doesn't actually lead to any developmental problems”.