A majority of children born to mothers with Zika virus (ZIKV) infection during pregnancy do not have an apparent disability at birth. However, if such children are at risk of neurodevelopmental abnormalities or not is not clear. This study aims to evaluate whether infants without CZS who were exposed to ZIKV in-utero are at risk of neurodevelopmental impairment.
This prospective cohort study included a total of 77 infants, of whom 70 (91%) had no CZS and underwent neurodevelopmental assessments. A longitudinal study of infant neurodevelopment was conducted, and the primary outcome was infant neurodevelopment assessed by WIDEA and AIMS.
The WIDEA and self-care domain score indicated curvilinear associations with age, whereas other domain scores showed linear declines with increased age. The AIMS scores were the same as the normative sample over time. The findings also suggested that 33% of the infants who underwent postnatal cranial ultrasonography had a mild, nonspecific finding. No significant difference was observed in the decline of WIDEA z scores between infants with and without cranial ultrasonography findings.
The research concluded that infants with exposure to in-utero ZIKV without CZS were at risk of abnormal neurodevelopmental outcomes during the early months of their life.
Ref: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/2758105?resultClick=1
