Developing fetuses in the womb can be incredibly sensitive to both stressful environments and toxic assaults on their mother’s health. Infections with viruses like Zika or varicella, the culprit behind chickenpox, can cause serious birth defects — and lead to devastating cognitive difficulties and visual impairment. But will exposure to COVID-19 wreak the same kind of havoc on pregnant moms and their unborn babies?
Right now, several research teams are investigating the pandemic's potential impacts on pregnancy. And while many of these projects are still in their early stages, the scientists involved are addressing a slew of thorny questions — such as whether there are higher numbers of complications like preterm births among women who had babies during the pandemic — in an effort to unravel what, exactly, the fallout will be.
