Retrospective observational study of first-year developmental outcomes following congenital microcephaly

OBJECTIVE: Determine the association between persistent versus resolved microcephaly and motor developmental outcomes in infants with congenital microcephaly. STUDY DESIGN: were collected for all children with congenital microcephaly seen in a NICU Follow-Up Clinic 2015-2024. A linear mixed model was fit to assess the relationship between microcephaly (resolved vs. persistent) with respect to Bayley motor composite scores in the first year. RESULTS: Seventy-eight infants had head circumference measurements and Bayley motor composite scores at both visit 1 and visit 2. Infants with persistent microcephaly at 4-6 months had mean motor scores 12.07 (95% CI [-22.94, -1.19], p = 0.02) points lower than peers with resolved microcephaly. By 9-12 months, these differences were no longer significant. CONCLUSION: Persistent microcephaly was associated with lower motor development scores at 4-6 months compared to children with resolved microcephaly. This simple, anthropometric measurement may be useful in predicting early motor development.