Children born to mothers infected with COVID-19 while pregnant face an elevated risk of autism, along with other developmental disorders including speech and motor delays, according to a study released Thursday.

Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital analyzed more than 18,000 births to people who delivered between March 1, 2020, and May 31, 2021, and had a laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 positive test.

Many of the women had not received vaccinations, researchers said, as the study looked at the period before COVID-19 vaccines were widely available.

According to the researchers, having a COVID-19 infection during pregnancy was associated with 29 percent higher odds of a neurodevelopmental condition in children, after adjusting for other risk factors.

Among 861 women who had tested positive for the coronavirus during pregnancy, 140 — just more than 16 percent — gave birth to a child who would receive a neurodevelopment diagnosis........

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