Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Children with Neonatal Parechovirus CNS Infections

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Infectious Diseases
• Neurology

Background:

• Human parechoviruses, or Parechovirus A (PeV-A), are increasingly recognized causes of severe infections in neonates and young infants.
• PeV-A infections can lead to serious conditions such as encephalitis, particularly in vulnerable infant populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the clinical characteristics and neurological outcomes of infants diagnosed with PeV-A encephalitis.
• To assess the long-term neurodevelopmental status of affected children up to two years of age.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of infants with suspected encephalitis in Warsaw during summer 2022.
• Analysis of demographic, clinical, laboratory, and neuroimaging data for confirmed PeV-A encephalitis cases.
• Standardized psychomotor development assessments (BSID-IV, Brunet-Lézine Scale) at 24-month follow-up.

Main Results:

• Eighteen cases of PeV-A encephalitis were identified, with a median age of 16 days.
• Fourteen cases were analyzed; most patients were male, and one was preterm.
• While three infants showed white matter alterations on initial MRI, no significant neurological sequelae were observed acutely or at 24-month follow-up.

Conclusions:

• PeV-A encephalitis in infants is associated with a low incidence of neurodevelopmental complications at 24 months.
• Most children demonstrate normal psychomotor development and neuroimaging findings after the acute illness.
• Further research in larger cohorts is warranted to identify potential predictors of long-term morbidity.