Impact of COVID-19 Related Maternal Stress on Fetal Brain Development: A Multimodal MRI Study

Background: Disruptions in perinatal care and support due to the COVID-19 pandemic was an unprecedented but significant stressor among pregnant women. Various neurostructural differences have been re-ported among fetuses and infants born during the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic counterparts. The relationship between maternal stress due to pandemic related disruptions and fetal brain is yet unexamined. Methods: Pregnant participants with healthy pregnancies were prospectively recruited in 2020–2022 in the greater Los Angeles Area. Participants completed multiple self-report assessments for experiences of pandemic related disruptions, perceived stress, and coping behaviors and underwent fetal MRI. Maternal perceived stress exposures were correlated with quantitative multimodal MRI measures of fetal brain development using multivariate models. Results: Increased maternal perception of pandemic related stress positively correlated with normalized fetal brainstem volume (suggesting accelerated brainstem maturation). In contrast, increased maternal perception of pandemic related stress correlated with reduced global fetal brain temporal functional variance (suggesting reduced functional connectivity). Conclusions: We report alterations in fetal brainstem structure and global functional fetal brain activity associated with increased maternal stress due to pandemic related disruptions, suggesting altered fetal programming. Long term follow-up studies are required to better understand the sequalae of these early multi-modal brain disruptions among infants born during the COVID-19 pandemic

Diplomado Design Thinking Proyecto de grado: cuenta la noche

CUENTA LA NOCHE, permite dar a conocer a los habitantes de cada barrio de la ciudad de San Juan de Pasto la historia que se encierra en ellos y los recuerdos de los mismos habitantes, resaltando características y datos especiales para otorgar identidad y sentido de pertenencia por la comunidad y sus instalaciones al conocerlos. Es una alternativa que conjuga el bagaje cultural de todas las tradiciones, hechos y experiencias, con la emotividad de recordar y contar historias para la unión comunitaria de familias, amigos y vecinos en las noches de Pasto. Dentro de CUENTA LA NOCHE se abarcan tres (3) espacios, la degustación e intercambio de recetas gastronómicas de la región denominado LA PROBADITA; la proyección de fotografías previamente recolectadas en la comunidad denominado RECORDERIS; y por ultimo PINTA LA NOCHE deja una huella plasmada en el barrio