O-74 Zika and neurodevelopment among children in Grenada: The first four years
Author(s):
R Evans, M Fernandes, N Cudjoe, K Blackmon, M Cheng, B Landon, T Noël, C Macpherson, R Waechter, AD LaBeaud
Year of Presentation:
2023
Objective: To determine the impact of in utero Zika virus (ZIKV) exposure on child neurodevelopment in the first four years of life.
Methods: A total of 384 mother-child dyads were enrolled during the Grenada ZIKV outbreak (April 2016 – March 2017) and followed annually four years postnatally. Maternal serum samples collected during pregnancy determined the child ZIKV-exposed and unexposed groups of this prospective cohort. At each annual visit, children were physically examined and administered an age-appropriate measure of neurodevelopment to track their progress over time. During the study, mothers provided information at each visit about their child’s home environment. Data were analyzed using chi-square tests, independent samples t-tests, and ANCOVAs where appropriate.
Results: Postnatal anthropometric measures indicated no differences in rates of microcephaly (5% vs. 4%, F=0.31, p=0.74) nor wasting and stunting between the groups. At 1, 2, 3, and 4 years, there were no significant differences in cognition, motor, language, and behaviour between the exposed and unexposed. While neurodevelopment remained equivalent between groups at age 2, delays in visual acuity (31%; p=0.035) were detected in the ZIKV-exposed children. At ages 3 and 4 these deficits were no longer apparent in the exposed group.
Conclusion: Data from this cohort indicate that children exposed to the Zika virus in utero do not show any neurodevelopmental delays up to their 4th year of life. Overall, normocephalic ZIKV-exposed children have been spared the effects of the ZIKV neurotropism and are progressing on par with their ZIKV-unexposed peers.