Cognitive Development of Infants Exposed to the Zika Virus in Puerto Rico

Key Points Question Is prenatal maternal exposure to Zika virus (ZIKV) associated with cognitive scores among infants after adjusting for confounders, including demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, maternal mental health, and exposure to Hurricane Maria? Findings In this cross-sectional study of 65 Puerto Rican infants aged 3 to 12 months, those with prenatal ZIKV exposure had lower receptive language scores. Exposure to ZIKV and Hurricane Maria both were significantly and inversely associated with receptive language scores. Meaning Even among infants without microcephaly or congenital Zika syndrome, prenatal maternal ZIKV infection is associated with lower receptive language scores during the first year of life; however, exposure to ZIKV does not appear to be associated with other domains of cognitive development.