SARS-CoV-2 infection in neonates or in pregnancy: Outcomes at 18 months (SINEPOST) study

The SARS-CoV-2 virus (Coronavirus) has infected over 4 million people in the UK¹ and over 170 million people globally². As around 700,000 babies are born every year within the UK³, thousands of babies are likely to have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2.

Almost all babies who had SARS-CoV-2 infection shortly after birth, or babies born to mothers that had SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy, were either well or were only mildly affected by the virus during the newborn period.

Exposure to certain viral infections shortly after birth or during pregnancy may impact a baby’s brain development or may affect their development later in life. However, we do not yet know whether SARS-CoV-2 infection shortly after birth (neonatal exposure) or during pregnancy (antenatal exposure) affects how babies develop later in childhood.

The SINEPOST study is a prospective national population-based cohort study investigating the impact of neonatal or antenatal exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection on infants’ development and social-emotional outcomes. Our research team plans to monitor how children are developing when they are 18-24 months of age, using simple questionnaires that can easily be filled in by parents or caregivers.

 References:

1. Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the UK, Cases in United Kingdom [website accessed 24th June 2021]

2. WHO Coronavirus (COVID-19) Overview [website accessed 24th June 2021]

3. Office for National Statistics, Vital statistics in the UK: births, deaths and marriages [website accessed 24th June 2021]