Positive Autism Screening Rates in Toddlers Born During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Firestein Morgan R. , Manessis Angela , Warmingham Jennifer M. , Xu Ruiyang , Hu Yunzhe , Finkel Morgan A. , Kyle Margaret , Hussain Maha , Ahmed Imaal , Lavallée Andréane , Solis Ana , Chaves Vitoria , Rodriguez Cynthia , Goldman Sylvie , Muhle Rebecca A. , Lee Seonjoo , Austin Judy , Silver Wendy G. , O’Reilly Kally C. , Bain Jennifer M. , Penn Anna A. , Veenstra-VanderWeele Jeremy , Stockwell Melissa S. , Fifer William P. , Marsh Rachel , Monk Catherine , Shuffrey Lauren C. , Dumitriu Dani 
Published: September 2024

Importance

Stress and viral illness during pregnancy are associated with neurodevelopmental conditions in offspring. Autism screening positivity for children born during the pandemic remains unknown.

Objective

To examine associations between prenatal exposure to the pandemic milieu and maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection with rates of positive Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised (M-CHAT-R) screenings.

Design, Setting, and Participants

Data for this cohort study were drawn from the COVID-19 Mother Baby Outcomes (COMBO) Initiative. M-CHAT-R scores obtained from children aged 16 to 30 months during routine clinical care at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City were abstracted from electronic health records (EHRs) for children born between January 2018 and September 2021 (COMBO-EHR cohort). Separately, the M-CHAT-R was administered at 18 months for children born between February 2020 and September 2021 through a prospective longitudinal study (COMBO-RSCH cohort). Prenatal pandemic exposure (birth after March 1, 2020) and maternal SARS-CoV-2 status during pregnancy was determined through EHRs. Data were analyzed from March 2022 to June 2024.

Exposures

Prenatal exposures to the pandemic milieu and maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was rate of positive M-CHAT-R screenings. For all primary analyses, unadjusted χ2 tests and adjusted logistic regression models were performed.

Results

The COMBO-EHR cohort included 1664 children (442 born before the pandemic and 1222 born during the pandemic; 997 SARS-CoV-2 unexposed, 130 SARS-CoV-2 exposed, and 95 with unknown SARS-CoV-2 exposure status), of whom 266 (16.0%) were Black, 991 (59.6%) were Hispanic, 400 (24.0%) were White, 1245 (74.8%) were insured through Medicaid, 880 (52.9%) were male, and 204 (12.3%) were born prematurely. The COMBO-RSCH cohort included 385 children (74 born before the pandemic and 311 born during the pandemic; 201 SARS-CoV-2 unexposed, 101 SARS-CoV-2 exposed, and 9 with unknown SARS-CoV-2 exposure status), of whom 39 (10.1%) were Black, 168 (43.6%) were Hispanic, 157 (40.8%) were White, 161 (41.8%) were insured through Medicaid, 222 (57.7%) were male, and 38 (9.9%) were born prematurely. Prenatal pandemic exposure was not associated with a higher positive M-CHAT-R screening rate in either the COMBO-EHR or COMBO-RSCH cohort. Prenatal exposure to maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with a lower rate of M-CHAT-R positivity in the COMBO-EHR cohort (12.3% [16 children] vs 24.0% [239 children]; adjusted odds ratio, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.22-0.68; P = .001), but no association was found in the COMBO-RSCH cohort (12.9% [13 children] vs 19.9% [40 children]; adjusted odds ratio, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.24-1.04; P = .07).

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cohort study of 2 groups of children with prenatal pandemic exposure and/or exposure to maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection, neither exposure was associated with greater M-CHAT-R positivity.