A recent study found that 18% of children hospitalized with acute SARS-CoV-2 and 24.8% of those with MIS-C experienced severe neurological manifestations, which were associated with an increased risk of new neurocognitive and functional morbidities at discharge.
A cohort study published in JAMA Network Open assessed the association between severe pediatric neurological manifestations during SARS-CoV-2–related hospitalizations and new neurocognitive or functional morbidities. This study included 3,568 patients under 18 years of age hospitalized with acute SARS-CoV-2 or multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) across 46 centers in 10 countries from January 2020 to July 2021.
Severe neurological manifestations, such as acute encephalopathy, seizures, status epilepticus, and delirium, were observed among the hospitalized pediatric population.
The findings indicated an association between severe neurological manifestations and new neurocognitive or functional morbidity at hospital discharge. Among survivors with acute SARS-CoV-2, 27.7% of those with severe neurological manifestations exhibited new morbidity compared to 14.6% of those without such manifestations. Similarly, for MIS-C survivors, 28% with severe neurological manifestations developed new morbidities versus 15.5% without severe neurological involvement.
The results underscore the importance of evaluation and follow-up care for pediatric patients with severe neurological symptoms related to SARS-CoV-2 or MIS-C. Early intervention and ongoing monitoring could help manage potential long-term impairments and support recovery outcomes.
The study highlights the need to recognize severe neurological manifestations as indicators of potential poor outcomes in pediatric SARS-CoV-2–related hospitalizations. Screening and addressing potential neurocognitive and functional impairments in this population may be beneficial.
Full disclosures can be found in the original study.