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Fighting COVID-19: research to help babies and children during the pandemic and beyond

Fighting COVID-19: research to help babies and children during the pandemic and beyond

Published on 7 October 2025

Action has always risen to the medical research challenges of the day – and in 2020 a new health crisis emerged. In response, we launched our COVID-19 children’s research appeal and funded seven studies in this crucial new area.

A baby, held by its mother, gazes out at the viewer. The mother is standing by a closed window and wearing a face mask over her nose and mouth.

In spring 2020, medical research was thrown firmly into the spotlight – and relied upon to deliver the life-saving breakthroughs needed to control and treat the new virus that was causing COVID-19. But while the global research effort was unprecedented, there was a lack of work focusing on babies, children and young people, and the impact of the pandemic on them.

Our broad remit, funding research across a wide range of diseases and conditions, allowed us to respond very quickly.

During 2021 and 2022 Action invested more than £1.1 million in seven studies to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on pregnant women, babies and children, and to help young people suffering from the debilitating effects of long COVID.

These projects were designed to provide vital information that could have an immediate impact, as well as help to fight future pandemics. They enhanced our understanding of the virus, identified risk factors for severe disease, and supported the development of new guidance. It led to much-needed guidance and recommendations, opened new avenues to prevent and treat disease, and continues to help young people affected by long COVID.

Action funding was critical during an unprecedented time in medical science”

Professor Kirsty Le Doare

Image showing a representation of round spikey COVID-19 virus cells, shown in blue on a lighter blue background. Text on the image reads: More than 1.1 million pounds invested in COVID-19 research.

COVID-19 projects for babies, children and young people

The research Action funded helped to:

Understand differences in immune responses between children and adults..
Understand infection in pregnant women and their babies, including advice for vaccination.
Identify risk factors and develop specialist tests to help prevent severe forms of COVID-19 that can, sadly, affect some children.
Assess the impact of the pandemic on children with a newly diagnosed brain tumour, with recommendations made for managing cancer services during any future periods of disruption.
Identify young children who may be at risk of delayed social or emotional development following early-life exposure to COVID-19.
Develop a new online treatment programme to tackle long COVID in young people.
Improve understanding of how long COVID affects the brains of children with ongoing symptoms.

Protecting children, now and always

Our charity began in the 1950s in response to another virus, polio. We helped to develop the first polio vaccines in the UK, which have kept millions of children safe ever since.