(NewsNation) — A new study suggests women who had COVID while pregnant had an increased likelihood of giving birth to children with autism and other developmental challenges.

The study published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology looked at 18,124 live births in Massachusetts.

Researchers analyzed children born during the peak COVID period, from March 2020 to May 2021.

Of 861 mothers who tested positive for the virus, 140 had children with some "neurodevelopmental diagnosis" within 36 months of birth, equating to 16.3% of the children researched.

Comparatively, 1,680 children born to mothers who did not get COVID also had a neurodevelopmental diagnosis, equating to 9.7%.

Cumulatively, children analyzed in the study were 29% more likely to have neurodevelopmental challenges if the

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