Predictors of Neurodevelopment in Microcephaly Associated with Congenital Zika Syndrome: A Prospective Study.

The municipality of Salvador, situated in Brazil, distinguished itself as the epicenter of the emergence of microcephaly related to congenital manifestations of Zika syndrome. Despite the anticipated significant developmental setbacks in these children, research has indicated a varied range of outcomes, with certain instances even reflecting minimal developmental delay. Our objective was to pinpoint determinants that could forecast developmental anomalies in children diagnosed with microcephaly associated with congenital Zika syndrome (CZS). METHODOLOGY: A forward-looking clinical and neurodevelopmental examination was conducted focusing on neonates diagnosed with microcephaly with CZS, birthed between September 2015 and April 2016 at the Hospital Geral Roberto Santos, in Salvador city. That infants were monitored up to their third year by a multiprofessional team. Child development was assessed using the composite Bayley III score. Undertaken by two blinded experts, cranial CT scan analysis was performed during the neonate period for the detection of brain abnormalities and to quantify ventricle enlargement, measured by Evans' index (EI). RESULTS: Fifty newborns were evaluated with a median head circumference of 28 cm (interquartile range 27-31 cm). EI was associated with neurodevelopmental delay at three years and remained significant after adjustment for head circumference. A 0.1-point increase in EI was associated with a delay of 3.2 months in the receptive language (p = 0.016), 3.4 months in the expressive language (p = 0.016), 3.4 months in the cognitive (p = 0.016), 2.37 months in the gross motor (p = 0.026), and 3.1 months in the fine motor (p = 0.021) domains. CONCLUSIONS: EI predicted neurodevelopmental delay in all Bayley domains in children with microcephaly associated with CZS.

Pré-natal da mulher brasileira: desigualdades raciais e suas implicações para o cuidado / Prenatal care of Brazilian women: racial inequalities and their implications for care

Resumo Esta investigação teve como objetivo caracterizar as mulheres que realizaram o pré-natal no Brasil segundo raça/cor e variáveis sociodemográficas e verificar associação entre os indicadores de processo do cuidado no pré-natal e a raça/cor das mulheres. Estudo transversal de base populacional empreendido com dados da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde de 2013. Realizou-se análise bivariada mediante modelo de regressão logística multinível, estimando-se as odds ratio para medir a associação entre os indicadores de processo do cuidado pré-natal adequado e raça/cor das mulheres e verificando os respectivos intervalos de confiança de 95%. Os achados evidenciaram que mulheres negras possuem menor chance de iniciar o pré-natal antes das 12 semanas de gestação, ter seis ou mais consultas, realizar teste de HIV, exame VDRL e receber orientações referentes aos cuidados na gestação e parto. Identificamos desigualdades na atenção à saúde das mulheres brasileiras atendidas no pré-natal relacionadas à raça/cor e a outras características sociodemográficas. Conclui-se que ser negra e ocupar lugares sociais desfavoráveis acarretam desvantagens para as mulheres quanto ao acesso a um pré-natal considerado adequado segundo os critérios estabelecidos pelo Ministério da Saúde do Brasil.

Abstract The study aimed to characterize women that attended prenatal care in Brazil according to ethnicity/skin color and sociodemographic variables and to verify the association between the indicators of the prenatal care process and the women's ethnicity/skin color. This was a population based, cross-sectional study carried out with data from the National Health Survey of 2013. A bivariate analysis was performed using the multilevel logistic regression model, estimating the odds ratio and the respective 95% confidence intervals to test the association between the indicators of the adequate prenatal care process and the women's ethnicity/skin color. The findings showed that black women have a lower chance of starting prenatal care before 12 weeks of gestation, having 6 or more consultations, performing the HIV test, performing the VDRL exam or receiving advice related to care during gestation and childbirth. Inequalities were identified in the healthcare of Brazilian women during prenatal care, related to ethnicity/skin color and other sociodemographic characteristics. It was concluded that being of black ethnicity and living in a socially disadvantaged area entails disadvantages for women regarding access to a prenatal care considered to be adequate according to the criteria established by the Brazilian Ministry of Health.

Prenatal care of Brazilian women: racial inequalities and their implications for care. / Pré-natal da mulher brasileira: desigualdades raciais e suas implicações para o cuidado.

The study aimed to characterize women that attended prenatal care in Brazil according to ethnicity/skin color and sociodemographic variables and to verify the association between the indicators of the prenatal care process and the women's ethnicity/skin color. This was a population based, cross-sectional study carried out with data from the National Health Survey of 2013. A bivariate analysis was performed using the multilevel logistic regression model, estimating the odds ratio and the respective 95% confidence intervals to test the association between the indicators of the adequate prenatal care process and the women's ethnicity/skin color. The findings showed that black women have a lower chance of starting prenatal care before 12 weeks of gestation, having 6 or more consultations, performing the HIV test, performing the VDRL exam or receiving advice related to care during gestation and childbirth. Inequalities were identified in the healthcare of Brazilian women during prenatal care, related to ethnicity/skin color and other sociodemographic characteristics. It was concluded that being of black ethnicity and living in a socially disadvantaged area entails disadvantages for women regarding access to a prenatal care considered to be adequate according to the criteria established by the Brazilian Ministry of Health.

Esta investigação teve como objetivo caracterizar as mulheres que realizaram o pré-natal no Brasil segundo raça/cor e variáveis sociodemográficas e verificar associação entre os indicadores de processo do cuidado no pré-natal e a raça/cor das mulheres. Estudo transversal de base populacional empreendido com dados da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde de 2013. Realizou-se análise bivariada mediante modelo de regressão logística multinível, estimando-se as odds ratio para medir a associação entre os indicadores de processo do cuidado pré-natal adequado e raça/cor das mulheres e verificando os respectivos intervalos de confiança de 95%. Os achados evidenciaram que mulheres negras possuem menor chance de iniciar o pré-natal antes das 12 semanas de gestação, ter seis ou mais consultas, realizar teste de HIV, exame VDRL e receber orientações referentes aos cuidados na gestação e parto. Identificamos desigualdades na atenção à saúde das mulheres brasileiras atendidas no pré-natal relacionadas à raça/cor e a outras características sociodemográficas. Conclui-se que ser negra e ocupar lugares sociais desfavoráveis acarretam desvantagens para as mulheres quanto ao acesso a um pré-natal considerado adequado segundo os critérios estabelecidos pelo Ministério da Saúde do Brasil.

Heterogeneous development of children with Congenital Zika Syndrome-associated microcephaly.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the neurological and neurodevelopmental outcomes of children with Congenital Zika Syndrome (CZS) associated microcephaly beyond 2 years of age. METHOD: We followed children with CZS-associated microcephaly in an outpatient clinic in Salvador, Brazil. Neurological and neurodevelopmental assessments were performed using the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE) and Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Neurodevelopment (Bayley-III) respectively. RESULTS: Of the 42 children included, 19 were male (45.2%); median (interquartile range) age at neurological evaluation was 28 (25-32) months, and 36 (85.7%) had severe microcephaly. HINE and Bayley-III results were completed for 35/42 (83.3%) and 33/42 (78.5%) children respectively. Bayley-III identified a severe developmental delay in 32/33 (97.0%) children while 1/33 (3.0%) had only a mild delay. In the multivariable analysis, we found that Bayley-III and HINE scores were correlated. Better HINE scores were associated with higher Bayley-III cognitive raw scores (ß = 0.29; CI 95% = 0.02-0.57) and motor raw scores (ß = 0.43; CI 95% = 0.04-0.82) after adjusting for head circumference, prematurity, and age at neurodevelopmental evaluation. Furthermore, we found that greater head circumference at follow up was associated with higher cognitive (ß = 1.27; CI 95% = 0.01-2.53) and motor raw scores (ß = 2.03; CI 95% = 0.25-3.81). CONCLUSION: Children with CZS-associated microcephaly demonstrate severe neurodevelopmental delays and slower growth rates than their peers over time. Still, they have remarkably heterogeneous neurodevelopmental profiles according to neurological exam scores which correlate with their long-term outcomes. We found that HINE scores effectively captured the heterogeneity of neurological capabilities among these children and could be predictive of cognitive and motor development progress.

Social determinants associated with Zika virus infection in pregnant women.

This study aims to describe the sociodemographic determinants associated with exposure to Zika Virus (ZIKV) in pregnant women during the 2015-2016 epidemic in Salvador, Brazil. METHODS: We recruited women who gave birth between October 2015 and January 2016 to a cross-sectional study at a referral maternity hospital in Salvador, Brazil. We collected information on their demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical characteristics, and evaluated their ZIKV exposure using a plaque reduction neutralization test. Logistic regression was then used to assess the relationship between these social determinants and ZIKV exposure status. RESULTS: We included 469 pregnant women, of whom 61% had a positive ZIKV result. Multivariate analysis found that lower education (adjusted Prevalence Rate [aPR] 1.21; 95%CI 1.04-1.35) and food insecurity (aPR 1.17; 95%CI 1.01-1.30) were positively associated with ZIKV exposure. Additionally, age was negatively associated with the infection risk (aPR 0.99; 95%CI 0.97-0.998). CONCLUSION: Eve after controlling for age, differences in key social determinants, as education and food security, were associated with the risk of ZIKV infection among pregnant women in Brazil. Our findings elucidate risk factors that can be targeted by future interventions to reduce the impact of ZIKV infection in this vulnerable population.

Adequação do pré-natal no Brasil e associação com raça/cor: estudo transversal / Adecuación de la atención prenatal en Brasil y asociación con la raza/color: estudio transversal / Adequacy of prenatal care in Brazil and association with race/skin color: a cross-sectional study

OBJETIVO: estimar a magnitude dos indicadores globais do cuidado pré-natal e verificar associação entre o índice padronizado de adequação pré-natal e raça/cor das mulheres. MÉTODO: estudo transversal de base populacional realizado com dados da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde. Realizou-se análise bivariada mediante modelo multinomial utilizando-se odds ratio (OR) como medida de associação, e seus respectivos intervalos de confiança de 95%. RESULTADOS: a prevalência global de realização de pré-natal adequado para as mulheres brasileiras é de 10,8%. A adequação do pré-natal se mostrou baixa tanto para o grupo de mulheres brancas como para as negras, 15,51% e 8,56%, respectivamente; no entanto houve associação positiva entre ser negra e ter tido pré-natal inadequado. DISCUSSÃO: embora tenhamos uma cobertura pré-natal crescente, quando considerados aspectos relacionados à adequação da assistência há uma redução importante nesse percentual. CONCLUSÃO: mulheres negras possuem menor chance de realizar pré-natal adequado.

OBJETIVO: estimar la magnitud de los indicadores globales de atención prenatal y verificar la asociación entre el índice estandarizado de adecuación prenatal y la raza/color de las mujeres. MÉTODO: estudio transversal de base poblacional realizado con datos de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud. El análisis bivariado se realizó mediante un modelo multinomial utilizando odds ratio (OR) como medida de asociación y su respectivo intervalo de confianza del 95%. RESULTADOS: la prevalencia global de atención prenatal adecuada para las mujeres brasileñas es del 10,8%. La adecuación de la atención prenatal se mostró baja tanto en el grupo de mujeres blancas como en el de mujeres negras, siendo de 15,51% y 8,56%, respectivamente; sin embargo, hubo una asociación positiva entre ser negra y haber tenido una atención prenatal inadecuada. DISCUSIÓN: aunque tenemos una cobertura prenatal cada vez mayor, al considerar aspectos relacionados con la adecuación de la atención, hay una reducción importante en este porcentaje. CONCLUSIÓN: las mujeres negras poseen menos probabilidades de realizar una atención prenatal adecuada.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the magnitude of global prenatal care indicators and to verify the association between the standardized prenatal adequacy index and the race/skin color of the women. METHOD: A cross-sectional population-based study conducted with data from the National Health Survey. Bivariate analysis was performed by means of a multinomial model using Odds Ratio (OR) as a measure for association, and its respective 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: The global prevalence of adequate prenatal care for Brazilian women is 10.8%. The adequacy of prenatal care was low both for the group of white and black women, 15.51% and 8.56%, respectively; however, there was a positive association between being black and having inadequate prenatal care. DISCUSSION: Although there is an increasing prenatal coverage, when considering aspects related to the adequacy of care, there is an important reduction in this percentage. CONCLUSION: Black women are less likely to have adequate prenatal care.