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. 2022 Nov;58(11):2008-2015.
doi: 10.1111/jpc.16139. Epub 2022 Jul 30.

Effect of neurodevelopmental treatment in children with congenital Zika syndrome: A pilot study

Wirtud I M Müller  1 , Gabriela L Gama  2   3 , Marcia C D Borges  1 , Bárbara M A M Bastos  1 , Janiele S Tavares  2 , Emanuela S Barros  2 , Jousilene S Tavares  2 , Melania M R Amorim  2 , Adriana Melo  2   3
Affiliations

Effect of neurodevelopmental treatment in children with congenital Zika syndrome: A pilot study

Wirtud I M Müller et al. J Paediatr Child Health. 2022 Nov.

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the effects of neurodevelopmental treatment (NDT) in children with congenital Zika syndrome (CZS).

Methods: This prospective, interventional cohort study involved children with CZS undergoing follow-up at a specialist centre in northeastern Brazil. The duration of the proposed NDT protocol was 1 year, with 45-min sessions delivered one to five times weekly. Motor function, weight, height, head circumference and the incidence of comorbidities were evaluated in children before protocol initiation and then at 3, 6 and 12 months of treatment.

Results: Thirty children were evaluated (age mean 30.1 ± 3 months). Motor function improved from baseline to 6 months (P = 0.001). No difference in weight and head circumference z-score (P = 0.51 and P = 0.29, respectively), but an increase in height z-score (P < 0.001) was observed over the evaluation period. There was a reduction in the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections, pneumonia and urinary tract infections over the follow-up period.

Conclusions: NDT proved to be a viable treatment approach that can improve motor function and reduce the incidence of comorbidities in children with CZS, while having no harmful effects on their growth.

Keywords: comorbidities; motor function; physiotherapy; rehabilitation.

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References

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