(VOVWORLD) - Researchers at the University of Miami reported on Thursday what they believe are the first two confirmed cases in which the SARS-CoV-2 virus crossed a mother’s placenta and caused brain damage in the infants they were carrying.
The babies were born to young mothers who tested positive for the virus during their second trimester at the height of the pandemic’s Delta wave in 2020, before vaccines were available. The case studies were published in the journal Pediatrics.
Dr. Shahnaz Duara at the University of Miami said she believed the cases were rare, but urged women who had been infected during their pregnancies to inform doctors to check for developmental delays.
The team also urged women who were considering pregnancy to get vaccinated against COVID, and said pregnant women should consider vaccination.