The sweeping consequences of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic for pregnant women, newborns, and children remain uncharted. The greatest outcomes may not be on those with known infections, who have dominated the early avalanche of literature. Interactions between humans and viruses evolve over time, judging from previous pandemic histories, and we will soon lose the opportunity to understand the current one. This Viewpoint suggests that the only way to truly capture the long-term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for these groups may be in agile reconfiguration of existing, large birth cohort studies.
Authors: Yanhong Jessika Hi, PhD; Melissa Wake, MD; Richard Saffery, PhD
Published: August 10, 2020
DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2020.2395