Background: A paucity of studies investigated the association between human parechovirus (HPeV) central nervous system (CNS) infection and motor and neurocognitive development of children. This study describes the gross-motor function (GMF) in young children during 24 months after HPeV-CNS infection compared with children in whom no pathogen was detected.
Methods: GMF of children was assessed with Alberta Infant Motor Scale, Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development or Movement Assessment Battery for Children. We conducted multivariate analyses and adjusted for age at onset, maternal education and time from infection.
Results: Of 91 included children, at onset <24 months of age, 11 had HPeV-CNS infection and in 47 no pathogen was detected. Nineteen children were excluded because of the presence of other infection, preterm birth or genetic disorder, and in 14 children, parents refused to consent for participation. We found no longitudinal association between HPeV-CNS infection and GMF (β = -0.53; 95% confidence interval: -1.18 to 0.07; P = 0.11). At 6 months, children with HPeV-CNS infection had suspect GMF delay compared with the nonpathogen group (mean difference = 1.12; 95% confidence interval: -1.96 to -0.30; P = 0.03). This difference disappeared during 24-month follow-up and, after adjustment for age at onset, both groups scored within the normal range for age. Maternal education and time from infection did not have any meaningful influence.
Conclusions: We found no longitudinal association between HPeV-CNS infection and GMF during the first 24-month follow-up. Children with HPeV-CNS infection showed a suspect GMF delay at 6-month follow-up. This normalized during 24-month follow-up.