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Han HJ, Woo J, Wi WY, Cho KD, Koo M, Hong SJ, Jung YM, Kim HY, Ahn KH, Hong SC, Kim HJ, Oh MJ, Cho GJ. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on infant obesity: A nationwide retrospective cohort study. J Infect Public Health 2024; 17:795-799. [PMID: 38520760 DOI: 10.1016/j.jiph.2024.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lifestyle changes, such as those related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including alterations in physical activity and dietary habits, are known to affect pregnancy outcomes. In particular, suboptimal intrauterine conditions during pregnancy are known to influence not only fetal growth but also growth during infancy. However, research on the impact of the environmental changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on the growth of infants and children during their early years is lacking. To address this issue, this study evaluated the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on obesity in infants. METHODS This retrospective cohort study used the data collected from the Korea National Health Insurance (KNHI) claims database. The data of 1985,678 women who delivered infants between 2015 and 2021 were collected. Women who delivered during the pandemic and those who delivered during the pre-pandemic period were matched in a 1:1 frequency-matched pair procedure for factors such as age, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, mode of delivery, gestational age at delivery, offspring sex, and birth weight. Finally, 197,580 women were enrolled. The weight and head circumference of infants (4-6 months of age) of the COVID-19 pandemic group were compared with those of the pre-pandemic group. RESULTS The COVID-19 pandemic group infants exhibited significantly higher weight and prevalence of obesity at 4-6 months of age compared to infants in the pre-pandemic group. After adjustment for covariates, pandemic group infants had a higher risk of obesity (odds ratio: 1.54, 95% confidence interval: 1.51-1.57) compared to the pre-pandemic group infants. CONCLUSION The COVID-19 pandemic has had a notable impact on the weight of infants aged 4-6 months. This suggests that pandemic conditions may influence the growth of newborns, underscoring the importance of monitoring and assessing trends in the growth of infants born during such crises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye Jin Han
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Joohyun Woo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Won Young Wi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyu-Dong Cho
- Big Data Department, National Health Insurance Service, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Minji Koo
- Big Data Department, National Health Insurance Service, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Su Jung Hong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Mi Jung
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ho Yeon Kim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ki Hoon Ahn
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Soon-Cheol Hong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hai-Joong Kim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Jeong Oh
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Geum Joon Cho
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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Shook LL, Castro VM, Herzberg EM, Fourman LT, Kaimal AJ, Perlis RH, Edlow AG. Offspring cardiometabolic outcomes and postnatal growth trajectories after exposure to maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2024; 32:969-978. [PMID: 38351665 PMCID: PMC11039385 DOI: 10.1002/oby.23998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to determine whether in utero exposure to SARS-CoV-2 is associated with increased risk for a cardiometabolic diagnosis by 18 months of age. METHODS This retrospective electronic health record (EHR)-based cohort study included the live-born offspring of all individuals who delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic (April 1, 2020-December 31, 2021) at eight hospitals in Massachusetts. Offspring exposure was defined as a positive maternal SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction test during pregnancy. The primary outcome was presence of an ICD-10 code for a cardiometabolic disorder in offspring EHR by 18 months. Weight-, length-, and BMI-for-age z scores were calculated and compared at 6-month intervals from birth to 18 months. RESULTS A total of 29,510 offspring (1599 exposed and 27,911 unexposed) were included. By 18 months, 6.7% of exposed and 4.4% of unexposed offspring had received a cardiometabolic diagnosis (crude odds ratio [OR] 1.47 [95% CI: 1.10 to 1.94], p = 0.007; adjusted OR 1.38 [1.06 to 1.77], p = 0.01). Exposed offspring had a significantly greater mean BMI-for-age z score versus unexposed offspring at 6 months (z score difference 0.19 [95% CI: 0.10 to 0.29], p < 0.001; adjusted difference 0.04 [-0.06 to 0.13], p = 0.4). CONCLUSIONS Exposure to maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with an increased risk of receiving a cardiometabolic diagnosis by 18 months preceded by greater BMI-for-age at 6 months.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia L. Shook
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Victor M. Castro
- Center for Quantitative Health and Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Research Information Science and Computing, Mass General Brigham, Somerville, MA
| | - Emily M. Herzberg
- Division of Neonatology and Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School
| | - Lindsay T. Fourman
- Metabolism Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Anjali J. Kaimal
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL
| | - Roy H. Perlis
- Center for Quantitative Health and Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Andrea G. Edlow
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
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Hummel S, Rosenberger S, von dem Berge T, Besser REJ, Casteels K, Hommel A, Kordonouri O, Elding Larsson H, Lundgren M, Marcus BA, Oltarzewski M, Rochtus A, Szypowska A, Todd JA, Weiss A, Winkler C, Bonifacio E, Ziegler AG. Early-childhood body mass index and its association with the COVID-19 pandemic, containment measures and islet autoimmunity in children with increased risk for type 1 diabetes. Diabetologia 2024; 67:670-678. [PMID: 38214711 PMCID: PMC10904508 DOI: 10.1007/s00125-023-06079-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
AIMS/HYPOTHESIS The aim of this study was to determine whether BMI in early childhood was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and containment measures, and whether it was associated with the risk for islet autoimmunity. METHODS Between February 2018 and May 2023, data on BMI and islet autoimmunity were collected from 1050 children enrolled in the Primary Oral Insulin Trial, aged from 4.0 months to 5.5 years of age. The start of the COVID-19 pandemic was defined as 18 March 2020, and a stringency index was used to assess the stringency of containment measures. Islet autoimmunity was defined as either the development of persistent confirmed multiple islet autoantibodies, or the development of one or more islet autoantibodies and type 1 diabetes. Multivariate linear mixed-effect, linear and logistic regression methods were applied to assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and the stringency index on early-childhood BMI measurements (BMI as a time-varying variable, BMI at 9 months of age and overweight risk at 9 months of age), and Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the effect of BMI measurements on islet autoimmunity risk. RESULTS The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with increased time-varying BMI (β = 0.39; 95% CI 0.30, 0.47) and overweight risk at 9 months (β = 0.44; 95% CI 0.03, 0.84). During the COVID-19 pandemic, a higher stringency index was positively associated with time-varying BMI (β = 0.02; 95% CI 0.00, 0.04 per 10 units increase), BMI at 9 months (β = 0.13; 95% CI 0.01, 0.25) and overweight risk at 9 months (β = 0.23; 95% CI 0.03, 0.43). A higher age-corrected BMI and overweight risk at 9 months were associated with increased risk for developing islet autoimmunity up to 5.5 years of age (HR 1.16; 95% CI 1.01, 1.32 and HR 1.68, 95% CI 1.00, 2.82, respectively). CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION Early-childhood BMI increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, and was influenced by the level of restrictions during the pandemic. Controlling for the COVID-19 pandemic, elevated BMI during early childhood was associated with increased risk for childhood islet autoimmunity in children with genetic susceptibility to type 1 diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Hummel
- Institute of Diabetes Research, Helmholtz Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Munich, Germany.
- Forschergruppe Diabetes e.V. at Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany.
- School of Medicine, Forschergruppe Diabetes at Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany.
| | - Sarah Rosenberger
- Institute of Diabetes Research, Helmholtz Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Munich, Germany
- Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology - IBE, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Pettenkofer School of Public Health, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Rachel E J Besser
- Centre for Human Genetics, JDRF/Wellcome Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, Nuffield Department of Medicine, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Kristina Casteels
- Department of Pediatrics, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Angela Hommel
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden of the Helmholtz Munich at University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus and Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Olga Kordonouri
- Kinder- und Jugendkrankenhaus auf der Bult, Hannover, Germany
| | - Helena Elding Larsson
- Unit for Pediatric Endocrinology, Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Department of Paediatrics, Skane University Hospital, Malmö/Lund, Sweden
| | - Markus Lundgren
- Unit for Pediatric Endocrinology, Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Department of Pediatrics, Kristianstad Hospital, Kristianstad, Sweden
| | - Benjamin A Marcus
- School of Medicine, Forschergruppe Diabetes at Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Mariusz Oltarzewski
- Department of Paediatric Diabetology and Paediatrics, The Children's Clinical Hospital Józef Polikarp Brudziński, Warsaw, Poland
- Department of Paediatrics, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anne Rochtus
- Department of Pediatrics, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Agnieszka Szypowska
- Department of Paediatric Diabetology and Paediatrics, The Children's Clinical Hospital Józef Polikarp Brudziński, Warsaw, Poland
- Department of Paediatrics, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - John A Todd
- Centre for Human Genetics, JDRF/Wellcome Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, Nuffield Department of Medicine, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Andreas Weiss
- Institute of Diabetes Research, Helmholtz Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Christiane Winkler
- Institute of Diabetes Research, Helmholtz Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Munich, Germany
- Forschergruppe Diabetes e.V. at Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany
| | - Ezio Bonifacio
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden of the Helmholtz Munich at University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus and Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Anette-G Ziegler
- Institute of Diabetes Research, Helmholtz Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Munich, Germany
- Forschergruppe Diabetes e.V. at Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany
- School of Medicine, Forschergruppe Diabetes at Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
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Oh DS, Kim E, Lu G, Normand R, Shook LL, Lyall A, Jasset O, Demidkin S, Gilbert E, Kim J, Akinwunmi B, Tantivit J, Tirard A, Arnold BY, Slowikowski K, Goldberg MB, Filbin MR, Hacohen N, Nguyen LH, Chan AT, Yu XG, Li JZ, Yonker L, Fasano A, Perlis RH, Pasternak O, Gray KJ, Choi GB, Drew DA, Sen P, Villani AC, Edlow AG, Huh JR. SARS-CoV-2 infection elucidates unique features of pregnancy-specific immunity. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.02.05.24301794. [PMID: 38370801 PMCID: PMC10871456 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.05.24301794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Pregnancy is a risk factor for increased severity of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory infections. The mechanisms underlying this risk have not been well-established, partly due to a limited understanding of how pregnancy shapes immune responses. To gain insight into the role of pregnancy in modulating immune responses at steady state and upon perturbation, we collected peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), plasma, and stool from 226 women, including 152 pregnant individuals (n = 96 with SARS-CoV-2 infection and n = 56 healthy controls) and 74 non-pregnant women (n = 55 with SARS-CoV-2 and n = 19 healthy controls). We found that SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with altered T cell responses in pregnant compared to non-pregnant women. Differences included a lower percentage of memory T cells, a distinct clonal expansion of CD4-expressing CD8 + T cells, and the enhanced expression of T cell exhaustion markers, such as programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-3 (Tim-3), in pregnant women. We identified additional evidence of immune dysfunction in severely and critically ill pregnant women, including a lack of expected elevation in regulatory T cell (Treg) levels, diminished interferon responses, and profound suppression of monocyte function. Consistent with earlier data, we found maternal obesity was also associated with altered immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection, including enhanced production of inflammatory cytokines by T cells. Certain gut bacterial species were altered in pregnancy and upon SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant individuals compared to non-pregnant women. Shifts in cytokine and chemokine levels were also identified in the sera of pregnant individuals, most notably a robust increase of interleukin-27 (IL-27), a cytokine known to drive T cell exhaustion, in the pregnant uninfected control group compared to all non-pregnant groups. IL-27 levels were also significantly higher in uninfected pregnant controls compared to pregnant SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals. Using two different preclinical mouse models of inflammation-induced fetal demise and respiratory influenza viral infection, we found that enhanced IL-27 protects developing fetuses from maternal inflammation but renders adult female mice vulnerable to viral infection. These combined findings from human and murine studies reveal nuanced pregnancy-associated immune responses, suggesting mechanisms underlying the increased susceptibility of pregnant individuals to viral respiratory infections.
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Cimolai N. COVID-19 among infants: key clinical features and remaining controversies. Clin Exp Pediatr 2024; 67:1-16. [PMID: 38013408 PMCID: PMC10764668 DOI: 10.3345/cep.2023.00794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Infants aged <1 year represent a seemingly more susceptible pediatric subset for infections. Despite this, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection has not been proven as more serious in this age group (outside the very early neonatal period) than in others. Indeed, a considerable number of asymptomatic infections have been recorded, and the symptoms and morbidity associated with COVID- 19 differ minimally from those of other respiratory viral infections. Whether due to an abundance of caution or truly reduced susceptibility, infections in infants have not raised the same profile as those in other age groups. In addition to direct severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 diagnostic tests, laboratory markers that differentiate COVID-19 from other viral infections lack specificity in infants. Gastrointestinal presentations are common, and the neurological complications of infection mirror those of other respiratory viral infections. There have been relatively few reports of infant deaths. Under appropriate precautions, breastfeeding in the context of maternal infections has been associated with tangible but infrequent complications. Vaccination during pregnancy provides protection against infection in infants, at least in the early months of life. Multi-inflammatory syndrome in children and multi-inflammatory syndrome in neonates are commonly cited as variants of COVID-19; however, their clinical definitions remain controversial. Similarly, reliable definitions of long COVID in the infant group are controversial. This narrative review examines the key clinical and laboratory features of COVID-19 in infants and identifies several areas of science awaiting further clarification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nevio Cimolai
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia and Children’s and Women’s Health Centre of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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Celik IH, Tanacan A, Canpolat FE. Neonatal outcomes of maternal prenatal coronavirus infection. Pediatr Res 2024; 95:445-455. [PMID: 38057579 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-023-02950-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to significant changes in life and healthcare all over the world. Pregnant women and their newborns require extra attention due to the increased risk of adverse outcomes. Adverse pregnancy outcomes include intensive care unit (ICU) admission, pulmonary, cardiac, and renal impairment leading to mortality. Immaturity and variations of the neonatal immune system may be advantageous in responding to the virus. Neonates are at risk of vertical transmission and in-utero infection. Impaired intrauterine growth, prematurity, vertical transmission, and neonatal ICU admission are the most concerning issues. Data on maternal and neonatal outcomes should be interpreted cautiously due to study designs, patient characteristics, clinical variables, the effects of variants, and vaccination beyond the pandemic. Cesarean section, immediate separation of mother-infant dyads, isolation of neonates, and avoidance of breast milk were performed to reduce transmission risk at the beginning of the pandemic in the era of insufficient knowledge. Vertical transmission was found to be low with favorable short-term outcomes. Serious fetal and neonatal outcomes are not expected, according to growing evidence. Long-term effects may be associated with fetal programming. Knowledge and lessons from COVID-19 will be helpful for the next pandemic if it occurs. IMPACT: Prenatal infection with SARS-CoV-2 is associated with adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. Our review includes the effects of COVID-19 on the fetus and neonates, transmission routes, placental effects, fetal and neonatal outcomes, and long-term effects on neonates. There is a growing body of data and evidence about the COVID-19 pandemic. Knowledge and lessons from the pandemic will be helpful for the next pandemic if it happens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Istemi Han Celik
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, University of Health Sciences Türkiye; Etlik Zubeyde Hanim Women's Health Teaching and Research Hospital, 06010, Ankara, Türkiye.
| | - Atakan Tanacan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perinatology Clinic, University of Health Sciences Turkiye, Ankara Bilkent City Hospital, 06800, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Fuat Emre Canpolat
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, University of Health Sciences Türkiye, Ankara Bilkent City Hospital, 06800, Ankara, Türkiye
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McCormack SE, Zemel BS. What's Past Is Prologue: Growth in Infants Born From Pregnancies Complicated by SARS-CoV-2 Infection. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2023; 108:e1755-e1756. [PMID: 37061811 DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgad219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Shana E McCormack
- Division of Endocrinology & Diabetes, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Babette S Zemel
- Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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