Coronavirus Infection in Neonates: Neurodevelopmental Outcomes at 18 Months of Age

Abstract

Background. Although most neonates with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection experience only mild disease, its impact on neurodevelopmental outcomes is unknown. This study aimed to assess the 18-month neurodevelopmental outcomes of infants who had SARS-CoV-2 infection as neonates. Methods. The authors conducted a prospective cohort study of neonates diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection from June 2020 to December 2020 through nasopharyngeal coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A total of 58 neonates were identified from the Kuwait National COVID-19 Registry and enrolled. Historical controls were selected from the neonatal follow-up registry and matched in a 2 : 1 ratio based on sex and gestational age. When the subjects were 18 months of age, their neurodevelopmental outcomes were assessed by two trained assessors using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-3rd Edition (BSID-III). Results. Forty children diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection were included in the final analysis. The median age at infection was 18 days (range: 10–26 days). Eighteen (45%) patients were asymptomatic, 15 (37.5%) had a sepsis-like presentation, 5 (12.5%) exhibited respiratory distress, and 2 (5%) had a multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C)-like presentation. At the 18 months follow-up, only one child showed a severe developmental delay and one child had a language delay. BSID-III outcomes did not differ significantly between the SARS-CoV-2-infected and control groups. Conclusions There was no difference in neurodevelopmental outcomes at 18 months in children infected with SARS-CoV-2 compared with controls, although longer neurodevelopmental follow-up studies are required.

The long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes of toddlers with SARS-CoV-2 infection in the neonatal period: a prospective observational study

“…Conflicting results have been reported regarding the long-term consequences of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in neonates. One study assessed the neurodevelopmental outcomes of newborns at 18 months who had in utero or postnatal exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection and found no discernible difference between the study and control groups [ 11 ]. The SINEPOST project, on the other hand, sought to assess the neurodevelopmental outcomes of toddlers exposed to SARS-CoV-2 during prenatal or postnatal periods at postnatal 21–24 months; however, the study is still ongoing, and the findings have not yet been made public [ 36 ].…”

“…It is still unclear whether neonatal or maternal SARS-CoV-2 causes potentially dangerous long-term effects. Therefore, toddlers exposed to SARS-CoV-2 during the prenatal and neonatal periods must be watched carefully [ 11 , 36 , 37 ].…”

“…Currently, there is a lack of studies examining the impact of neonatal SARS-CoV-2 infection on the long-term neurodevelopment outcomes of affected infants. There are few studies on newborn neurodevelopment, particularly long-term studies [ 11 ]. Most of the follow-up studies are on infants born to mothers with SARS-CoV-2 infections [ 12 – 15 ].…”

COVID-19 among infants: key clinical features and remaining controversies

“…The frequency of such a state in a given infant population must certainly depend on the cause of the initial testing. Where testing is performed, the bias to include asymptomatic patients in screening efforts will evidently increase the proportion of apparent asymptomatic infections, as will the testing of contacts of infected patients (e.g., outbreak testing scenario) since most will be asymptomatic at the time of the intervention [ 2 , 42 , 43 ]. Early in the pandemic, asymptomatic infections were identified in 16%–25% of cases [ 28 , 44 ].…”

Korelasi antara Rasio Limfosit Neutrofil dan Nilai Ambang Batas Siklus RT-PCR pada Bayi Terinfeksi Covid-19

“…Sebagian besar bayi dengan infeksi SARS-CoV-2 memiliki gejala ringan. Penelitian Ayed et al 4 menyatakan bahwa sebagian besar bayi baru lahir yang terpapar SARS-CoV-2 memperlihatkan perkembangan neurologik yang normal dalam beberapa bulan pertama kehidupan. Namun, penelitian tersebut hanya memberikan perspektif jangka pendek tentang hasil perkembangan saraf.…”