Background:
During 2016-2020, 12,955 cases of Zika virus (ZIKV) infections were reported in México, where Yucatán was the second state with high prevalence. However, the neurological development of children with gestational exposure to these viruses has been poorly studied.
Aim:
We aim to describe the neurodevelopmental status of infants exposed to ZIKV during pregnancy in Yucatán, México.
Methods:
Infants aged 4-5 years exposed in utero to ZIKV were first evaluated with the Child Development Assessment 2nd version test (EDI-ll) and later with the Battelle Inventory 2nd version test (IDB-ll). The anthropometric characteristics were evaluated using the Intergrowth 21st Calculator application, the Body Mass Index calculator developed by the CDC, and the WHO head circumference chart.
Results:
Fifty infants without microcephaly were included, median age of 54.42 + 3.14 months; 28% presented lag and 14% showed a risk of delay. The Fine Motor and Communication areas were the most affected (24% and 20% respectively), followed by Language (16%), Social (12%), and Gross Motor (8%). At reassessment, 64.3% were reclassified as normal and 14.3% remained at risk of delay. The IDB-II test identified neurodevelopmental lags of 10 to 20 months to chronological ages, with a greater lag in the Expressive area and a smaller lag in the Cognitive area. A higher frequency of neurodevelopmental disorders was found in the second trimester of pregnancy. However, exposure during the first trimester of pregnancy coincided with a higher frequency of risk of delay.
Conclusion:
Our results emphasize the need to evaluate the neurodevelopment of infants with antenatal exposition to ZIKV, during the first 5 years of life from birth to improve their future quality of life.
Key words: Infants, Gestation, Neurodevelopment, México, Zika virus
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