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Neurodevelopmental Disability Common With Neonatal Listeriosis

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Jan 4, 2024.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Jan. 4, 2024 -- For children born with neonatal listeriosis, 66 percent develop at least one neurodevelopmental disability, according to a study published in the December issue of The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.

Caroline Charlier, M.D., from the Institut Pasteur-Université Paris Cité, and colleagues conducted a prospective, matched, observational cohort study involving children born with microbiologically confirmed maternal-neonatal listeriosis to determine long-term neurological and neurodevelopmental outcome. Children underwent neurological and neurodevelopmental assessments of sensory deficits, executive function, adaptive behavior, and cognitive and motor coordination function at age 5 years. Fifty-three of 59 children who were eligible to participate in the study were enrolled for neurodevelopmental assessments.

The researchers found that 58 percent of the children had been born preterm, and 42, 34, and 11 percent had early-onset systemic infection, early-onset nonsystemic infection, and late-onset systemic infection, respectively, all with meningitis. Of 44 children for whom neurodevelopmental disabilities scores were available, 66 percent developed at least one disability and 18 percent had severe neurodevelopmental disabilities. Three of four children with late-onset infection and in whom neurodevelopmental disabilities scores were available developed at least one neurodevelopmental disability. Neurological and neurodevelopmental outcomes were not different for children with neonatal listeriosis versus gestational age-matched control children without infection.

"These results highlight the burden of persistent disability and dominant contribution of prematurity to long-term outcomes in children born with neonatal listeriosis," the authors write. "The findings support the implementation of systematic long-term screening and provision of tailored education and special needs support."

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Posted January 2024

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