title: Early developmental outcomes of children with congenital HHV-6 infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The goal of this study was to determine if congenital human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) infection influences early neurodevelopment.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 57 newborns with HHV-6 congenital infection and 242 control newborns without congenital infection into a prospective, double-blind study with 4 visits between 4 and 30 months of age. Assessments included the Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence, the Visual Expectation Paradigm, and the Mental Development Index (MDI) of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II. Newborn audiology screening and follow-up audiology examinations were completed at 12 to 24 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No differences were noted in baseline characteristics between infants with HHV-6 congenital infection and control infants. No clinical syndrome due to congenital infection with HHV-6 was evident at birth. No differences were identified on the Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence or the Visual Expectation Paradigm between the two groups. In 39 infants with HHV-6 congenital infection, the mean ± SD Bayley Scale of Infant Development II MDI score was 103.4 ± 8.9 at 12 months of age. The matched control infants had a mean score of 105.4 ± 12.4. After controlling for covariates, HHV-6 congenital infection was associated with lower scores on the Bayley Scale of Infant Development II MDI at 12 months of age (mean difference: 4.3 [95% confidence interval: 0.4 to 8.1]; P = .03) compared with infants without HHV-6 congenital infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Congenital HHV-6 infection may have a detrimental effect on neurodevelopment at 12 months of age and requires further study given that congenital infection with HHV-6 is present in ∼1 in every 101 births.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatrics, mary_caserta@urmc.rochester.edu.
authors.forename: Mary T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Caserta
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatrics, Medicine.
authors.forename: Caroline B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
authors.forename: Richard L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Canfield
authors.affiliation: Behavioral Pediatrics and Developmental Disabilities, and.
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.affiliation: Medicine.
authors.forename: Gerry
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lofthus
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatrics.
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schnabel
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatrics.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carnahan
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatrics.
authors.forename: Lynne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shelley
authors.affiliation: Biostatistics and Computational Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York; and.
authors.forename: Hongyue
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D059031:Anticipation, Psychological; D001288:Attention; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007360:Intelligence; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011930:Reaction Time; D019349:Roseolovirus Infections / Q000151:congenital* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012438:Saccades
keywords: congenital HHV-6 infection; neurodevelopment