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COVID-19 in Pregnancy Linked to Higher Neurodevelopmental Risks

11/6/2025

Summary

Maternal COVID Risks

The study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology links maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy to higher neurodevelopmental diagnoses in offspring by age three.
Among 18,124 live births, 16.3% of exposed children received a neurodevelopmental diagnosis versus 9.7% of unexposed children.
The risk is higher for infections in the third trimester and is more pronounced in male children.
Researchers urge parental awareness of potential neurodevelopmental risks associated with maternal COVID-19 infection.

Summary

Researching Gene Discovery

A Nature study, published November 5, 2025, shows differences between GWAS and burden tests in identifying disease-related genes.
Researchers from NYU Langone Health and partners analyzed UK Biobank data to compare methods.
Burden tests target rare variants tied to specific diseases, while GWAS detects both disease-specific and pleiotropic genes.
The study argues for a dual-parameter gene-prioritization model weighing gene importance and specificity to guide drug discovery.

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Maternal COVID Risks

The study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology links maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy to higher neurodevelopmental diagnoses in offspring by age three.
Among 18,124 live births, 16.3% of exposed children received a neurodevelopmental diagnosis versus 9.7% of unexposed children.
The risk is higher for infections in the third trimester and is more pronounced in male children.
Researchers urge parental awareness of potential neurodevelopmental risks associated with maternal COVID-19 infection.

1 / 2