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Pediatric research with impact: connecting families to developmental resources

Pediatric Research volume 98, pages 2427–2428 (2025)Cite this article

The COVID-19 pandemic emphasized racial and ethnic health disparities that exist throughout the United States. These health disparities were reflected in the unequal rates of infection, hospitalization, and morbidity in minorities.1 Furthermore, underserved and underrepresented communities experienced a greater socioeconomic burden as a result of the pandemic.1 In Virginia, the rate of COVID-19 cases in the Hispanic and Latino community was 2.1 times higher than their White counterparts.2 Hispanic and Latino individuals were 2.6 times more likely to be hospitalized due to COVID-19 than Whites.2 Hispanic and Latinos often made up the essential workforce, lacked the resources to quarantine in their homes, and lived in multi-family households contributing to this risk.3

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are still felt widely, and for the children who were born during the pandemic period, it is critical to measure potential effects on their neurodevelopment.4 This is particularly relevant in communities where social determinants of health (SDOH) not only have contributed to disparities in the rate of COVID-19 in pregnant mothers but also can have an impact on neurodevelopmental trajectories of their offspring. Early child development sets the trajectory for later developmental milestones, presenting a crucial window during the first few years of life to identify and address any potential developmental delays. Given the widespread nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and concerns for impact on neurodevelopment of children born to mothers infected with SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy, child developmental outcome studies have been underway.5

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Acknowledgements

The authors have grant support by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development of the National Institutes of Health (grant numbers R01HD107140 [PI: Ursini] and R01HD102445 [PI: Mulkey]). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zickler Family Prenatal Pediatrics Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA

    Manuela Iglesias, Daniella S. McCausland & Sarah B. Mulkey

  2. Outpatient and Pediatrics Rehabilitation Services, Inova Fairfax Medical Capus, Falls Church, VA, USA

    Lora Jackle, Megan Tierney & Jessica Harkness

  3. Fairfax Neonatal Associates, Department of Pediatrics/Neonatology, Inova L.J. Murphy Children’s Hospital, Falls Church, VA, USA

    Robin Baker

  4. Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins University Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Gianluca Ursini

  5. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Gianluca Ursini

  6. Department of Neurology, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA

    Sarah B. Mulkey

Authors
  1. Manuela Iglesias
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  2. Daniella S. McCausland
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  3. Lora Jackle
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  4. Megan Tierney
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  5. Jessica Harkness
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  6. Robin Baker
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  7. Gianluca Ursini
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  8. Sarah B. Mulkey
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Correspondence to Sarah B. Mulkey.

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Iglesias, M., McCausland, D.S., Jackle, L. et al. Pediatric research with impact: connecting families to developmental resources. Pediatr Res 98, 2427–2428 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-025-03902-8

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