Impaired Brain Growth in Children Perinatally Infected With Chikungunya
Raphaëlle Sarton1, Raissa Medina-Santos2, Brahim Boumahni3
1Department of Pediatrics, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de La Réunion, Saint Pierre, Reunion, France.
Pediatric Neurology
|June 1, 2026
Summary
Perinatal chikungunya infection in children can impair head growth, a marker of brain development. This study investigated head growth and identified genetic factors related to brain development issues in infected individuals.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Virology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Chikungunya neonatal encephalitis is linked to microcephaly.
- Limited understanding of brain growth post-perinatal chikungunya infection.
- Study aimed to assess head growth (HG) outcomes after perinatal chikungunya virus infection.
Purpose of the Study:
- Evaluate head growth (HG) and dynamics in children with perinatal chikungunya infection.
- Identify genetic mechanisms underlying chikungunya's impact on brain growth in adults.
Main Methods:
- Compared adolescent head growth and dynamics based on infection status (encephalitic, nonencephalitic, noninfected).
- Analyzed differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in adults related to brain volume and size.
- Utilized bulk transcriptome analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
Main Results:
- Infected children showed lower head circumference and lost head growth percentiles compared to noninfected.
- These findings persisted even when excluding encephalitic cases.
- Identified 22 DEGs in adults linked to delayed myelination, microcephaly, hypomyelination, and leukoencephalopathy.
Conclusions:
- Findings support neurocognitive milestone monitoring for perinatally chikungunya-infected children.
- Suggests further research into the neuropathogenesis of chikungunya neonatal encephalitis.
- Highlights potential genetic pathways affecting brain development post-chikungunya infection.
Keywords:
ChikungunyaCohort studiesCongenital infectionEncephalitisHead circumferenceMicrocephalyNeurodevelopmentTranscriptomicsMore Related Videos
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