Preschool neurodevelopment in Zika virus-exposed children without congenital Zika syndrome

Authors

Sarah B. Mulkey, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA. SBMULKEY@childrensnational.org.
Colleen Peyton, Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
Emily Ansusinha, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA.
Elizabeth Corn, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA.
Margarita Arroyave-Wessel, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA.
Anqing Zhang, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA.
Cara Biddle, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA.
Corina Gutierrez, BIOMELab, Barranquilla, Colombia.
Andrea Sorkar, BIOMELab, Barranquilla, Colombia.
Andres Cure, BIOMELab, Barranquilla, Colombia.
Daniela Cure, BIOMELab, Barranquilla, Colombia.
Adre J. du Plessis, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA.
Roberta L. DeBiasi, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA.
Michael E. Msall, University of Chicago Medicine Kennedy Research Center on Intellectual and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities, Chicago, IL, USA.
Carlos Cure, BIOMELab, Barranquilla, Colombia.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

11-30-2022

Journal

Pediatric research

DOI

10.1038/s41390-022-02373-5

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Children with in utero Zika virus (ZIKV) exposure without congenital Zika syndrome (CZS) are at risk for abnormal neurodevelopment. Preschool-age outcomes for children with antenatal ZIKV exposure have not yet been established. METHODS: Children with in utero ZIKV exposure and non-exposed controls had neurodevelopmental evaluations at age 3-5 years in Sabanalarga, Colombia. Cases did not have CZS and were previously evaluated prenatally through age 18 months. Controls were born before ZIKV arrival to Colombia. Neurodevelopmental assessments included Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI-CAT), Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF-P), Bracken School Readiness Assessment (BSRA), and Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC). Family demographics and child medical history were recorded. RESULTS: Fifty-five ZIKV-exposed children were evaluated at mean age 3.6 years and 70 controls were evaluated at 5.2 years. Family demographics were similar between groups. BRIEF-P t-scores were higher for cases than controls in shift and flexibility domains. Cases had lower PEDI-CAT mobility t-scores compared to controls. There was no difference in MABC between groups. In 11% of cases and 1% of controls, parents reported child mood problems. CONCLUSIONS: Children with in utero ZIKV exposure without CZS may demonstrate emerging differences in executive function, mood, and adaptive mobility that require continued evaluation. IMPACT: Preschool neurodevelopmental outcome in children with in utero Zika virus exposure is not yet known, since the Zika virus epidemic occurred in 2015-2017 and these children are only now entering school age. This study finds that Colombian children with in utero Zika virus exposure without congenital Zika syndrome are overall developing well but may have emerging differences in executive function, behavior and mood, and adaptive mobility compared to children without in utero Zika virus exposure. Children with in utero Zika virus exposure require continued multi-domain longitudinal neurodevelopmental evaluation through school age.

APA Citation

Mulkey, Sarah B.; Peyton, Colleen; Ansusinha, Emily; Corn, Elizabeth; Arroyave-Wessel, Margarita; Zhang, Anqing; Biddle, Cara; Gutierrez, Corina; Sorkar, Andrea; Cure, Andres; Cure, Daniela; du Plessis, Adre J.; DeBiasi, Roberta L.; Msall, Michael E.; and Cure, Carlos, "Preschool neurodevelopment in Zika virus-exposed children without congenital Zika syndrome" (2022). GW Authored Works. Paper 1882.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/1882

Department

Pediatrics