Study Links COVID-19 Infections in Pregnant Women to Increased Respiratory Distress in Babies

Babies born to mothers who contracted COVID-19 while pregnant have an increased risk of respiratory distress, according to the findings of a study published on Jan. 24. The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications, was conducted by researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the Cleveland Clinic. Researchers noted that previous studies have suggested that prenatal exposure to COVID-19 may activate an “inflammatory cascade” in the airways of newborns. In their study, researchers analyzed 221 women in Los Angeles, California, who became infected with the virus during their pregnancies between April 2020 and August 2022. Researchers then observed the newborn babies....