Table 3.
Abnormal Postural Patterns
| No. (%) |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variable | Infants Without Microcephaly (n = 76)a | Infants With Microcephaly (n = 35)b | Neurotypical Controls (n = 333) | P Valuec |
| Head not kept in midline | 22 (28.9) | 30 (85.7) | 64 (19.2) | .10 |
| Asymmetric body posture | 49 (64.5) | 32 (91.4) | 109 (32.7) | <.001 |
| Persistent asymmetric tonic neck posture | 0 | 9 (25.7) | 0 | NA |
| Hyperextension of neck and/or trunk | 0 | 26 (74.3) | 1 (0.3) | NA |
| Long-lasting extension of arms | 12 (15.8) | 6 (17.1) | 38 (11.4) | .29 |
| Long-lasting extension of legs | 9 (11.8) | 32 (91.4) | 26 (7.8) | .26 |
| External rotation and abduction of hips | 20 (26.3) | 1 (2.9) | 11 (3.3) | <.001 |
| Lack of variable finger movements | 26 (34.2) | 35 (100) | 77 (23.1) | .08 |
| Finger spreading | 7 (9.2) | 18 (51.4) | 1 (0.3) | <.001 |
| Spreading of toes | 0 | 18 (51.4) | 0 | NA |
Abbreviation: NA, not applicable.
a
Refers to 76 infants without microcephaly from the Rio de Janeiro cohort who were prenatally exposed to acute maternal illness with rash and whose mothers were referred to Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Prenatal and perinatal data are reported elsewhere.2
b
Refers to 33 infants from the Belo Horizonte cohort plus 2 infants with microcephaly from the Rio de Janeiro cohort.
c
Infants without microcephaly vs neurotypical controls (Pearson χ2 test or Fisher exact test).