Delhi, April 09: Researchers at the University of Miami have reported what they believe are the first two confirmed cases of babies born with brain damage as a result of the COVID-19 virus. As per the study, the SARS-CoV-2 virus affected the infants by crossing through the placenta of their mothers. Doctors previously had suspected this was possible, but until now, there was no direct evidence of Covid-19 in a mother’s placenta or an infant’s brain.

The researchers confirmed the two cases where babies born to young mothers, who were tested positive to coronavirus' Delta variant in 2020, suffered seizures leading to significant development delays. The report said one of them died at 13 months of age while the other was placed in hospice care unit. COVID-19 Causing Coronavirus Can Be Detected in Tears Sampled by Ocular Swab: Study.

The report further states that despite being tested positive for the virus, one woman had only mild symptoms and carried the baby full term while the other became so sick that doctors had to deliver the baby at 32 weeks of gestation. COVID-19 Induced Face Blindness: Study Says Infection Can Cause Problems in Recognising Faces and Navigation.

The study said that the newborns had seizures from the first day of life. However, unlike Zika, the babies were not born with microcephaly, a condition marked by small head size. Instead, microcephaly developed over time as their brains stopped growing at a normal rate.

The study further revealed that the deadly virus was seen in the placentas of both mothers. Further, an autopsy of the child's brain, who died, also showed traces of the virus in the brain. However, it was not clear whether the injuries caused during pregnancy were related to the delta variant or the Omicron-related variants.

Following the study, the researchers urged women who were considering pregnancy to get vaccinated against COVID-19. 

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 09, 2023 09:48 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).