Rates of Positive M-CHAT-R Screenings by Pandemic Birth and Prenatal SARS-CoV-2 Exposure

• DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.20.24302892
• Publication Date: 2024-12-13T17:24:47Z
• Authors: Morgan R. Firestein; Angela Gigliotti ...; Jen Warmingham; Yunzhe Hu; Morgan A. Finkel; Margaret Kyle; Maha Hussain; Imaal Ahmed; Andréane Lavallée; Ana Solis; Vitoria Chaves; Cynthia Rodriguez; Sylvie Goldman; Rebecca A. Muhle; Seonjoo Lee; Judy Austin; Wendy G. Silver; Kally C. O’Reilly; Jennifer M. Bain; Anna A. Penn; Jeremy Veenstra-V...; Melissa S. Stockwell; William P. Fifer; Rachel Marsh; Catherine Monk; Lauren C. Shuffrey; Dani Dumitriu
• Keywords: Pandemic; 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak

Abstract Maternal stress and viral illness during pregnancy are associated with neurodevelopmental conditions in offspring. Children born the COVID-19 pandemic, including those exposed prenatally to maternal SARS-CoV-2 infections, reaching developmental age for assessment of risk conditions. We examined associations between birth prenatal exposure infection, rates positive screenings on Modified Checklist Autism Toddlers-Revised (M-CHAT-R). Data were drawn from Mother Baby Outcomes (COMBO) Initiative. Participants completed M-CHAT-R as part routine clinical care (COMBO-EHR cohort) or research purposes (COMBO-RSCH cohort). status was determined through electronic health records. The COMBO-EHR cohort includes n=1664 children (n=442 historical cohort, n=1222 pandemic cohort; n=997 unexposed prenatally, n=130 prenatally) who at affiliated hospitals 2018-2023 had a valid score their record. COMBO-RSCH consists n=359 (n=268 n=91 same enrolled into prospective study that included administration 18-months. Birth not greater likelihood screen cohort. lower screening adjusted models (OR=0.40, 95% CI=0.22 - 0.68, p =0.001), while analyses yielded similar but non-significant results (OR=0.67, CI=0.31-1.37, =0.29).These suggest first 18 months infection M-CHAT-R.