Neurodevelopment medium-term outcome after parechovirus infection

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Infectious Diseases
• Neurology

Background:

• Human parechoviruses (HPeV) cause fever, sepsis-like illness, and encephalitis in young children.
• Long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes after HPeV infection are a significant concern for infants.
• This study focuses on the medium-term prognosis of infants with HPeV infection, specifically excluding encephalitis cases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the medium-term neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants following human parechovirus infection.
• To assess the recovery trajectory of motor function in infants after HPeV infection without encephalitis.

Main Methods:

• Infants with HPeV infection involving cerebrospinal fluid were assessed twice using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-3 (ASQ-3).
• The first assessment occurred at least one year post-infection, with a follow-up assessment one year later.
• Neurological examinations were also performed to identify motor deficits.

Main Results:

• Initially, 3 out of 16 infants showed mild motor function alterations; one had hypotonia and another hemiparesis.
• At the second assessment (15 patients), only the patient with hemiparesis still exhibited gross motor dysfunction.
• The remaining patients demonstrated complete recovery, indicating significant improvement over the follow-up period.

Conclusions:

• Infants infected with human parechovirus without encephalitis generally exhibit a good medium-term prognosis.
• Mild motor alterations observed post-infection can improve, particularly with at-home interventions.
• Outcomes for HPeV infection without encephalitis appear more favorable compared to cases involving encephalitis.