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How Corona Affects The Fetus Even Without Infecting The Umbilical Cord

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Our content undergoes a rigorous editorial process, including fact-checking and clinical review by qualified medical experts.
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Jessica Booth (Health Expert), WE
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Wendy Hunter
MEDICAL ADVISOR
by   Wendy Hunter
Wendy Hunter ✔ Verified Expert
Wendy Hunter, M.D., is an partner medical doctor at Children’s Primary Care Medical Group in La Jolla, California. She was once previously an accomplice professor…
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—Written by   Jessica Booth (Health Expert), WE
Jessica Booth (Health Expert), WE
Jessica Booth is a New York-based freelance creator who in many instances writes about health, wellness, parenting, food, travel, splendor and greater for a range of publications. Know More. Learn about our editorial process.
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Updated on April 11, 2026
Why This Was Updated
We continuously monitor the health landscape and update our articles to reflect the latest evidence.

Updated on April 11, 2026

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—Published on January 25, 2022
Our editorial process ensures that the information we provide is well-researched and reliable. Learn about our commitment to quality in our editorial policy.
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The Fast Facts

  • A change in the immune function of the blood of the umbilical cord of the baby of the infected mothers has been observed.
  • A new study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health in the US has said that the causative virus SARS Cov-2 can affect the fetus even without infecting the umbilical cord.
  • It has been claimed in this study that corona may not infect the umbilical cord in pregnancy, but if the mother is infected, then its effect can cause inflammatory immune response in the fetus and infants.
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The coronavirus pandemic, which has changed its variants for the past two years, has made all the countries of the world helpless. Today, we will be telling you about how corona affects the fetus even without infecting the umbilical cord.

Scientists have not yet came out with its effective treatment, although the immunity-boosting vaccine has slightly reduced the damage to human lives, but the virus is bent on putting our future generations at risk.

A new study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health in the US has said that the causative virus SARS Cov-2 can affect the fetus even without infecting the umbilical cord.

It has been claimed in this study that corona may not infect the umbilical cord in pregnancy, but if the mother is infected, then its effect can cause inflammatory immune response in the fetus and infants. The outcome of the study have been published in the journal Nature Communications.

How Study Has Performed?

This study was conducted by National Institute of Health studied on 23 pregnant women at the limited level, out of which 12 women were Covid positive, while 8 women were asymptomatic, who did not have a single symptom of corona.(1)

One woman had mild symptoms and the condition of three were severe. The researchers compared the immune responses between the mother and the baby by comparing maternal blood and cord blood after delivery.

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Outcome of The Study.

As per the findings of the study, the virus-borne inflammatory immune response was seen in the mother, her infant and the tissues of the umbilical cord.

It didn’t matter if the mother had symptoms of the infection or not. In pregnant women infected with SARS CoV-2, the anti-viral response to the immune cell (also known as T cell) was low. Infected mothers who did not have symptoms of the infection, antibodies against the virus were also developed.

Some of these antibodies were also found in the umbilical cord blood. It was also found that high levels of immune active markers (cytokines) were found in the infected mothers, which had nothing to do with the symptoms present. The cytokine contained interleukin 8, interleukin 10 and interleukin 15.

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A high level of interleukin 8 was found in the child born from unsignified mothers. Despite the absence of the virus in the umbilical cord, the proportion of immune cell types in infected mothers were changed.

A change in the immune function of the blood of the umbilical cord of the baby of the infected mothers has been observed.

It has been shown that in infected mothers, the umbilical cord may not have been infected during pregnancy, but the immune system of the infants has been affected by it. So, Corona affects the fetus even without infecting the umbilical cord.

+1 Source

Freaktofit has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, educational research institutes, and medical organizations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and up-to-date by reading our editorial policy.

  1. Maternal and Neonatal Morbidity and Mortality Among Pregnant Women With and Without COVID-19 Infection; https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2779182

Last reviewed on April 11, 2026

How we reviewed this article:

ⓘ Sources

FreakToFit follows strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and reputable medical organizations. We only use high-quality, credible sources to ensure the accuracy and integrity of our content.

🕖 History

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available

Current Version

Written by Jessica Booth (Health Expert), WE

Reviewed by Wendy Hunter

Updated: Apr 11, 2026

Jan 25, 2022

Written by Jessica Booth (Health Expert), WE

Reviewed by Wendy Hunter

The information shared in this article is for educational purposes only and should not replace professional medical consultation. Always speak with a qualified healthcare provider about any health concerns or treatments. Know More

Jessica Booth (Health Expert), WE

Author
Jessica Booth is a New York-based freelance creator who in many instances writes about health, wellness, parenting, food, travel, splendor and greater for a range of publications. Know More. Learn about our editorial process.

Wendy Hunter

Health Expert
Wendy Hunter, M.D., is an partner medical doctor at Children’s Primary Care Medical Group in La Jolla, California. She was once previously an accomplice professor…

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