Skip to main content

First-Trimester COVID-19 Vaccine Does Not Increase Risk for Birth Defects

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on July 11, 2024.

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, July 11, 2024 -- First-trimester mRNA COVID-19 vaccine exposure is not associated with an increased risk for selected major structural birth defects, according to a study published online July 1 in JAMA Pediatrics.

Elyse O. Kharbanda, M.D., M.P.H., from HealthPartners Institute in Minneapolis, and colleagues assessed whether receipt of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine during the first trimester is associated with an increased risk for selected major structural birth defects among live-born infants. The analysis included 42,156 singleton pregnancies with live birth in the Vaccine Safety Datalink from March 5, 2021, to Jan. 25, 2022, from eight health systems in California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

The researchers found that selected major structural birth defects occurred in 1.48 percent of infants after first-trimester mRNA COVID-19 vaccination and in 1.41 percent of infants without first-trimester vaccine exposure (adjusted prevalence ratio, 1.02; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.78 to 1.33). Similarly, there were no significant differences between infants exposed or not exposed to vaccination during the first trimester of pregnancy when examining major structural birth defect outcomes grouped by organ system.

"In this multisite cohort study, among live-born infants, first-trimester mRNA COVID-19 vaccine exposure was not associated with an increased risk for selected major structural birth defects," the authors write. "These findings support the safety of maternal COVID-19 vaccination in the first trimester."

Several authors disclosed ties to industry.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted July 2024

Further Support and Information on COVID-19

Read this next

Prevalence of Infant Nonsupine Sleep Position Steady From 2016 to 2022

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 18, 2024 -- The overall prevalence of nonsupine sleep positions during infancy has been steady over time (2016 to 2022), according to a research letter published...

Concerns Raised as Too Few U.S. Children Have Received Flu Vaccine

THURSDAY, Dec. 12, 2024 -- In new data posted this week by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 37 percent of children had received the influenza vaccine as...

ACIP Updates Recommendations for Bexsero MenB-4C Vaccine

THURSDAY, Dec. 12, 2024 -- The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations have been updated for the meningococcal serogroup B MenB-4C vaccine (Bexsero)...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.