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Acute Neurological Presentation in Children With SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Antonella Riva1,2, Gianluca Piccolo1,2, Federica Balletti1

  • 1Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.

Frontiers in Pediatrics
|July 28, 2022
PubMed

Insights

SARS-CoV-2 infection in children typically has a benign course. Neurological symptoms, such as headache, are rare and do not correlate with disease severity or pre-existing conditions.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Limited data exists on acute SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) presentation in children, especially regarding neurological symptoms.
  • Previous reports often comprise small case series, necessitating larger cohort studies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe neurological manifestations in a large cohort of pediatric patients with acute SARS-CoV-2 infection.
  • To investigate correlations between neurological symptoms, disease severity, and patient demographics.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 237 children (0-18 years) with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection was recruited from April 2020 to March 2021.
  • Clinical data, including neurological symptoms, imaging, and laboratory results, were collected and statistically analyzed.

Main Results:

  • 13.5% of patients presented with neurological symptoms, most commonly headache (65.6%).
  • Neurological symptoms did not significantly impact triage severity or correlate with pre-existing conditions.
  • Respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms were more prevalent in patients without neurological involvement.

Conclusions:

  • SARS-CoV-2 infection generally follows a benign course in the pediatric population.
  • Neurological manifestations, excluding headache, are uncommon and do not appear to be linked to disease severity or underlying health issues.
Abstract

Keywords:
COVID-19SARS-CoV-2acutechildrenneurological symptoms

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