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In 2015, Brazil underwent an outbreak of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection, transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. The severe neurological impairments in newborns caused congenital ZIKV syndrome to gain world repercussion, being declared “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” by the World Health Organization. One of the main consequences of infection by ZIKV are the fetal abnormalities detected by ultrasound in 30% of the ZIKV-positive pregnant women. Fetal abnormalities, such as decreased intrauterine growth, abnormal amniotic fluid volume, abnormal brain or umbilical flow, ventricular calcifications, and other changes in the central nervous system, in addition to fetal death, were found. Part of the ultrasonographic findings during pregnancy were confirmed in the newborns assessed so far. In the most serious cases, the neurological changes may cause microcephaly, which is accompanied by major functional impairment and neuropsychomotor developmental delay.

These signs and symptoms were elegantly reported in the New England Journal of Medicine1 from the cohort study conducted by the Laboratory of Acute Febrile Illness of Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, in Rio de Janeiro. Since the beginning of 2016, the Laboratory of Neurofunctional Evaluation of the Physical Therapy Program of Faculdade de Medicina of Universidade de São Paulo has collaborated by evaluating the risks for neurological impairment and characterizing the neuropsychomotor development of newborns and infants of this cohort. Our results so far show that about 40% of these newborns and infants present risks for neurological disorders and that the …