Premium
Neurodevelopmental findings in children 20‐30 months of age with postnatal Zika infection at 1‐12 months of age, Colombia, September‐November 2017
Author(s) -
Pacheco Oscar,
Newton Suzanne M.,
Daza Marcela,
Cates Jordan E.,
Reales Javier Alberto Madero,
Burkel Veronica K.,
Mercado Marcela,
GodfredCato Shana,
Gonzalez Maritza,
Anderson Kayla N.,
Woodworth Kate R.,
Valencia Diana,
Tong Van T.,
Gilboa Suzanne M.,
Osorio May Bibiana,
Rodríguez Dora Yurany Sánchez,
PrietoAlvarado Franklyn Edwin,
Moore Cynthia A.,
Honein Margaret A.,
Ospina Martínez Martha L.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
paediatric and perinatal epidemiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.667
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1365-3016
pISSN - 0269-5022
DOI - 10.1111/ppe.12690
Subject(s) - medicine , zika virus , pediatrics , adverse effect , hearing loss , language delay , autism , language development , audiology , psychiatry , virus , psychology , developmental psychology , virology
Background Zika virus (ZIKV) infection during pregnancy can cause infant brain and eye abnormalities and has been associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in exposed infants. Evidence is limited on ZIKV’s effects on children infected postnatally within the first year of life. Objective To determine whether any adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes occurred in early childhood for children infected postnatally with ZIKV during infancy, given the neurotoxicity of ZIKV infection and the rapid brain development that occurs in infancy and early childhood. Methods The Colombia Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS) conducted health and developmental screenings between September and November 2017 to evaluate 60 children at ages 20‐30 months who had laboratory‐confirmed symptomatic postnatal ZIKV infection at ages 1‐12 months. We examined the frequency of adverse neurologic, hearing, eye, and developmental outcomes as well as the relationship between age at Zika symptom onset and developmental outcomes. Results Nine of the 60 (15.0%) children had adverse outcomes on the neurologic, hearing, or eye examination. Six of the 47 (12.8%) children without these adverse findings, and who received a valid developmental screening, had an alert score in the hearing‐language domain which signals the need for additional developmental evaluation. Conclusion Neurologic, hearing, eye, and developmental findings suggest reassuring results. Since the full spectrum of neurodevelopmental outcomes in children postnatally infected with ZIKV remains unknown, routine paediatric care is advised to monitor the development of these children to ensure early identification of any adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes.