Overview

• The CSIC-led team reports recent epidemiological evidence of roughly a 10% rise in learning and memory delays among children exposed to SARS‑CoV‑2 in the womb before vaccines were available.
• Analysis of anonymized 20‑week fetal brain tissue from 2020 identified the virus localized in cells of the embryonic hippocampus, a region crucial for memory formation.
• Researchers point to ACE2 expression and an immature blood–brain barrier at mid‑gestation as a plausible pathway for viral entry into developing neurons.
• Children born to mothers who were vaccinated showed fewer developmental delays, which investigators associate with reduced maternal viral load.
• Greater maternal illness severity, including hospitalization, correlated with higher odds of neurodevelopmental alterations, and the cohort is under ongoing follow‑up with calls for developmental surveillance and early intervention.