Motor dysfunction in preschool children exposed to zika virus during pregnancy and normocephalic at birth: Developmental Coordination Disorder and Minimal Neurological Dysfunction

Early Hum Dev. 2025 Jan 10:201:106198. doi: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106198. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

The occurrence of motor dysfunctions was assessed at the age of 5 to 7 years in 61 normocephalic infants with prenatal Zika virus exposure. Traditional neurological examination, Touwen neurological examination, Movement Assessment Battery for Children-Second Edition (MABC-2) and the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (DCDQ) were used to identify Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) and Minimal Neurological Dysfunction (MND). A high frequency of motor dysfunctions was found, 47 (81.0 %) of MND and 15 (24.5 %) of probable DCD. It is also possible to suggest some association between both conditions.

Keywords: Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (DCDQ); Developmental Coordination Disorder and Minimal Neurological Dysfunction; Minimal Neurological Dysfunction; Motor dysfunctions; Movement Assessment Battery for Children-Second Edition (MABC-2); Prenatal Zika virus exposure; Touwen neurological examination.