The neurodevelopmental spectrum of congenital Zika infection: a scoping review
Alessandra Carvalho1,2, Henrique F Sales3, Paloma Ventura1
1SARAH Network of Rehabilitation Hospitals, Salvador, Brazil.
Aim:
To describe the standardized neurodevelopmental outcomes after the first year of life in children with congenital Zika syndrome (CZS) and those exposed to Zika virus (ZIKV) during fetal life, but without microcephaly at birth.
Method:
This scoping review included observational studies about the standardized neurodevelopmental outcome in children with CZS or exposed to ZIKV, but without microcephaly, assessed after 12 months of age. The databases searched were MEDLINE/Pubmed, LILACS, Scielo, Scopus, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Embase. Risk of bias was assessed with the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklists.
Results:
Seventeen papers were included: 12 focused on children with CZS, four on children born without microcephaly, and one described both. Only one of the studies about CZS reported a child with microcephaly and typical development; the remainder described a severe pattern of global developmental delay and cerebral palsy. The prevalence of epilepsy was 74.6%. In the reports about children born without microcephaly, 6.9% to 8.7% had some domain with a score below -2 SD, and three children developed autism spectrum disorder.
Interpretation:
CZS is associated with severe global developmental delay and cerebral palsy after 1 year of age. In children born without microcephaly, although most have typical development, some may be at risk for impairments.
