Researchers at the University of Miami revealed today that they believe they have confirmed the first two cases of transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus (which causes COVID-19) from the mother’s placenta to two fetuses, resulting in brain damage.
The team announced in a press briefing that doctors had previously suspected this might occur "but even before the study, there was no direct evidence of the presence of COVID-19 in the mother’s placenta or the baby’s brain."
The team noted that the two children suffered from seizures from the first day of their lives, but were not born with microcephaly; instead, the development of microcephaly occurred over time as their brains stopped growing at a normal rate.
The infants were born to mothers confirmed to be infected with the virus during the second trimester of pregnancy amid the peak of the Delta variant wave in 2020, before vaccines were available.
Dr. Michael Pillai, head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Miami, stated at the press conference, "This is the first time we have been able to prove that the virus reached a fetal organ through the placenta, so we believe this is very significant."
Both infants suffered from severe developmental delays. The team reported that one of the children died at 13 months, while the other is currently under intensive care.
