'Covid-19 may lead to a rise in maternal stress and lower birth weights'

The professor reviewed previous biocultural studies to predict how Covid-19 could impact the birth weight of the next generation.File picture: Katie Collins/PA Wire

The fallout from the coronavirus pandemic could lead to a rise in maternal emotional stress and smaller babies, an academic has predicted.

Professor Barry Bogin, emeritus professor of biological anthropology at Loughborough University in Britain, said he wants to raise awareness of the likelihood of the issue so that social, economic, and emotional support can be made available as early as possible.