Purpose: To investigate the risk of global developmental delay in infants born from mothers with COVID-19. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between March and November 2021, with 54 infants of both sexes aged between 1 and 12 months. Twenty-seven infants born from mothers diagnosed with COVID-19 during pregnancy composed the COVID-19 group, whereas infants born from mothers not exposed to COVID-19 composed the control group. Medical records and child health booklets provided neonatal and prenatal data. The Survey of Wellbeing of Young Children screened the risk of global developmental delay during a phone interview or home visit. Chi-squared, Mann–Whitney test, and binary logistic regression were applied. Results: The risk of motor developmental delay was identified in 15 infants (12 in the COVID-19 group), while 36 were at risk of behavioral alteration (22 in the COVID-19 group). The COVID-19 group presented a 6.3-fold risk of motor developmental delay. Motor developmental delay was also significantly associated with socioemotional alterations (odds ratio = 6.4, p = 0.01). Regarding families of infants in the COVID-19 group, 63% of the mothers presented risk of depression, 51.9% risk of substance abuse, 40.7% risk of food insecurity, and 7.4% risk of domestic violence. The inflexibility subscale of the survey was a statistically relevant variable for the socioemotional domain. Conclusion: Infants born from mothers with COVID-19 were at high risk of motor developmental delay and socioemotional alterations. Although, this study fills an important gap in the literature regarding the influence of maternal exposure to COVID-19 on infant development, new studies screening families with infants at risk of developmental delay may significantly impact maternal and child health-related indicators, such as physical health, emotional development and social behavior.

Objective: To assess the rib cage expansion and respiratory rate in newborns using an abdominal stabilization band. Methods: The study included 32 newborns of both genders, with gestational age between 35 and 41 weeks. The abdominal stabilization band was used for 15 minutes between the xiphoid process and the anterosuperior iliac crest, with an abdominal contention 0.5cm smaller than the abdominal circumference. The rib cage expansion was evaluated by a breathing transducer (Pneumotrace II™) three minutes before using the band, during the use (15 minutes), and ten minutes after removing the band. The Shapiro-Wilk test verified data normality, and the Wilcoxon test compared the variables considering rib cage expansion and respiratory rate. Significance was set to p<0.05. Results: There was an increase in respiratory rate when comparing before and ten minutes after removing (p=0.008) the abdominal stabilization band, as well as when comparing during its use and ten minutes after its removal (p=0.001). There was also an increase in rib cage expansion when comparing before and during the use of the abdominal stabilization band (p=0.005). Conclusions: The use of the abdominal stabilization band promoted an increase in the rib cage expansion and respiratory rate in the assessed newborns and may be a viable option to improve the respiratory kinematics of this population.

Introduction: Congenital Zika syndrome (CZS) represents a spectrum of fetal and neonatal abnormalities resulting from in utero Zika virus (ZIKV) transmission during pregnancy. Given the severe multisystem disabilities, relative recency of the epidemic and limited long‐term data, comprehensive characterization at specialized centres is crucial. Objective: This study aimed to examine clinical symptoms, brain imaging and brain activity (video electroencephalography, VEEG) patterns in children with CZS receiving care at a specialized rehabilitation centre. Method: We conducted a cross‐sectional study from August 2018 to January 2019 with 48 children diagnosed with CZS according to the Brazilian Ministry of Health criteria. We collected clinical data from electronic medical records. Results: The most common clinical problems included bladder and bowel incontinence (97.9%), epilepsy (85.5%), facial abnormalities (89%), swallowing difficulties (83.3%), excessive irritability (81.3%), eye misalignment (75%), sleep problems (72.9%), acid reflux (62.0%) and vision problems (62.5%). Brain imaging revealed reduced brain tissue volume (95.8%), abnormal corpus callosum (91.1%), enlarged fluid‐filled spaces in the brain (89.5%), calcium deposits at the brain's outer layers (78.3%) and abnormally thick brain folds (71.1%). We found significant links between bone/muscle malformations and both white matter disease ( p = 0.036) and enlarged brain ventricles ( p = 0.031). Conclusion: Children with CZS consistently show motor difficulties, multiple clinical problems and characteristic brain abnormalities. These findings predict significant limitations in daily activities, movement and cognitive–social development.

INTRODUCTION: Children born from mothers diagnosed with COVID-19 may face developmental challenges that require multidisciplinary care. OBJECTIVE: To understand access to specialized outpatient services for children born from mothers diagnosed with COVID-19 and assess their development and family context. METHODS: A cross-sectional, mixed-methods study conducted with children of both sexes, aged 2–3 years, born from mothers diagnosed with COVID-19 during pregnancy. Stage 1 consisted of developmental risk screening performed in the first year of life using the Brazilian version of the Survey of Wellbeing of Young Children. Stage 2, carried out two years later, involved semi-structured phone interviews with caregivers addressing access to specialized services and child development. The quantitative analysis included data from both stages, whereas the qualitative analysis focused on responses from the Stage 2 interviews. Descriptive statistics were performed using SPSS 20.0, and qualitative data were thematically analyzed. RESULTS: Of 14 children included, six were identified as at risk for developmental delay in Stage 1, of whom two accessed specialized outpatient services. In Stage 2, eight caregivers reported concerns about delays in developmental milestones, half of whom had already been classified at risk in Stage 1. Among these, two were referred for outpatient follow-up. Regarding the family context in Stage 2, nearly half of the children were at risk of food insecurity, and some caregivers reported a need for psychological support and family violence. CONCLUSION: Caregivers’ perceptions highlight limited access to outpatient services, and a complex family context marked by food insecurity and violence.