Maternal mRNA COVID-19 vaccine not linked to offspring neurodevelopment

Researchers have found no link between maternal messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccination and neurodevelopmental problems such as autism in offspring, presenting their findings at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine 2026 Pregnancy Meeting.¹

The mRNA vaccine and a protein subunit vaccine are both recommended to mothers during pregnancy for maternal and infant protection against COVID-19, with safety reported for administration at any stage of pregnancy. This recent study supports the vaccine’s safety by identifying no long-term neurodevelopmental impairments.¹

“Neurodevelopment outcomes in children born to mothers who received the COVID-19 vaccine during or shortly before pregnancy did not differ from those born to mothers who did not receive the vaccine,” said George R. Saade, MD, senior researcher and professor at Old Dominion University.¹

Exposed vs unexposed patients

The multi-center prospective observational study was conducted to determine whether COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy is associated with offspring neurodevelopmental outcomes.² Participants included offspring aged 18 to 30 months.

These patients were categorized as exposed or unexposed based on whether their mothers did or did not receive an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine dose during or within 30 days before pregnancy. Offspring of mothers with delivery under 37 weeks, multifetal pregnancy, or major congenital malformations were excluded from the analysis.²

Exposed and unexposed women were matched by delivery date, delivery site, insurance status, and race. Equivalence within an upper and lower margin of 10 points for the Ages and Stages Questionnaire version 3 (ASQ-3) total score was reported as the primary outcome.²

Assessments performed and participant characteristics

This metric was used to evaluate child development in 5 main areas, including communication, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, problem solving, and personal-social interaction.¹ Assessments were performed when children were aged 1 and a half to 2 and a half years.

Secondary outcomes included associations with domain-specific ASQ-3 scores and Child Behavior Checklist, alongside Checklist for Autism in Toddlers and Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire scores.² There were 271 exposed and 240 unexposed women enrolled in the study, with 217 pairs created when matching on all characteristics.

Increased odds of nulliparity were reported among exposed mothers, and their offspring were more often vaccinated. They were also slightly younger at assessment than their unexposed counterparts, with median ages of 25.4 and 25.9 months, respectively.No other baseline characteristics significantly differed between groups.²

No neurodevelopmental outcomes reported

There were no differences in secondary outcomes reported between groups. Additionally, the primary outcome of ASQ score did not significantly differ in exposed vs unexposed offspring, at 255 vs 260, respectively. This indicated a nonsignificant median difference of -3.4.²

These results indicated no significant differences in neurodevelopmental outcomes between infants exposed vs unexposed to COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy. Investigators concluded this data provides reassurance about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine for pregnant women.²

“This study, conducted through a rigorous scientific process in an NIH clinical trials network, demonstrates reassuring findings regarding the long-term health of children whose mothers received COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy,” said Brenna L. Hughes, MD, MSc, professor at Duke University.¹

References

1. No association between mRNA COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy and autism in children, new research shows. Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine. February 11, 2026. Accessed February 12, 2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1115028
2. Saade GR, Hughes BL. Association between SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in pregnancy and child neurodevelopment at 18–30 months. Presented at: Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine 2026 Pregnancy Meeting. February 8-13, 2026. Las Vegas, Nevada.