ABRAPPPE

Gabriela Lopes Gama, PT, PhD,^a,b Melania Maria Ramos de Amorim, MD, PhD ^a, Renan Alves da Silva Júnior, PT, MSc,^a Agda Cristina de Sousa Santos, PT, MSc,^a Paula Lisiane Assunção, PT, PHD,^a Jousilene de Sales Tavares, PhD,^a

Thamyris de Sales Regis, PT,^a Janiele de Sales Tavares, PT,^a Adriana Melo, MD, PhD a,b
From the  ^aProfessor Joaquim Amorim Neto Research Institute (IPESQ), Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil; and  ^bUNIFACISA University Center, Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the effect of intensive physiotherapy training on the motor function of children with congenital Zika syndrome (CZS).

Design: A retrospective cohort study.

Setting: A support center for children with microcephaly.

Participants: Children (NZ7) aged 14 to 18 months old who were diagnosed with CZS and previously monitored more than 1 year. Interventions: A 2-stage protocol repeated uninterruptedly for 1 year. In the first stage, the children were submitted to 1 hour of conventional physiotherapy and 1 hour of suit therapy 5 times a week for 4 weeks. The second stage consisted of 1 hour of suit therapy 3 times a week for 2 weeks.

Main Outcome Measures: Gross motor function measure (GMFM) and body weight.

Results: Six evaluations were conducted approximately 3 months apart. An increase in the overall GMFM score was observed between the first and second (PZ.046), first and third (PZ.018), first and fourth (PZ.018), first and fifth (PZ.043), and first and sixth evaluations (PZ.018). Differences in the scores of the individual GMFM dimensions were found only for dimension A (lying and rolling) between the first and fourth evaluations (PZ.027) and for dimension B (sitting) between the first and third (PZ.018), first and fourth (PZ.046), and first and sixth evaluations (PZ.027). No difference was found in body weight between the first and sixth evaluations (PZ.009). During follow-up, only 1     child required hospitalization, and another had increased irritability.

Conclusions: Children with CZS were able to perform 2 hours of motor physiotherapy daily with no serious complications, resulting in an increase or stabilization in GMFM scores.

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2020;-:-------