Prenatal exposure to maternal illness and stress has been widely associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes, including deficits in cognition and socioemotional development. The principal goal of this project utilizes Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Electroencephalography (EEG), and a variety of behavioral measures to assess brain maturation and neurodevelopment among infants exposed prenatally to COVID-19 and associated high levels of stress. The planned experiments are effective in identifying brain markers that may contribute to resiliency in young infants, determining measures of stress response in relation to a maternal COVID-19 diagnosis, and characterizing the neurodevelopment of those infants born to mothers with a COVID-19 infection.~Specific goals include:~To determine the prevalence of psychological distress in pregnant women with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis and to examine the extent to which existing high risk environments play a role in the susceptibility of heightened psychological distress.~To examine the effects of prenatal distress and maternal illness/inflammation related to a maternal COVID-19 diagnosis on early structural and functional brain development.~To characterize neural networks that may have been impacted by a maternal COVID-19 infection and related stress during pregnancy.~To assess the early neurodevelopment outcomes of infants exposed to elevated prenatal stress related to a maternal COVID-19 diagnosis during pregnancy.
The purpose of this study is to advance the scientific understanding of how a prenatal COVID-19 infection and associated psychological distress influences infant neurodevelopment. This project will aim to shed light on how families and child development are impacted by the current COVID-19 pandemic and will work to better support these families and children as they grow.