Neurologic Manifestations of COVID 19 in Children: Prospective Study in a Single Center

BACKGROUND: The data related to the neurologic manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in children are limited. The frequency of the neurologic manifestations and the risk factors in the development of these symptoms are not clear. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to determine the exact frequency of the neurological symptoms in pediatric patients with confirmed COVID-19 and to identify the risk factors for the development of neurological manifestations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included pediatric Covid-19 patients admitted to the Children's Hospital of Ankara City Hospital between March 22 and June 1, 2020. Neurological findings were questioned by interviewing the patients and their families and detailed neurologic examinations were performed within protection measures. RESULTS: A total of 312 pediatric patients with the diagnosis of COVID-19 were enrolled in the study. Sixty-six participants (21.15%) showed neurologic symptoms during COVID-19. Headache was the most common neurologic symptom and present in 14% (n: 44) of the cases. The other neurologic symptoms were myalgia (n: 30, 9.6%), anosmia/hyposmia (n: 6, 1.9%), ageusia (n: 2, 0.6%), and vertigo (n: 1, 0.3%). Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (P = 0.002) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) (P = 0.001) were significantly elevated in patients with neurological symptoms when compared to the patients without the symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Physicians should be alert to the neurologic involvement of COVID-19 disease in children. NLR and PLR ratios could have a predictive value for the development of neurological manifestations.