How COVID-19 in newborns affects hormone development

Researchers are concerned that COVID-19 infection in newborns may affect the development of hormones that control growth and development during infancy—a critical window called "minipuberty." This observational study compares newborns exposed to COVID-19 with newborns who received a breathing treatment called inhaled nitric oxide and healthy newborns, to see whether the virus changes how these important hormones develop and whether this affects health later in life.

COVID-19 may affect the pituitary gland (which controls many hormones in the body), and early hormone changes could lead to health problems later. By studying newborns during this critical time, researchers hope to understand whether and how the virus causes these changes, which could help prevent long-term complications.