Early stimulation for neuropsychomotor development in children with microcephaly: a systematic review.

Objective: To systematically review studies on the effects of early stimulation on the neuropsychomotor development of children with microcephaly.

Data source: A systematic review was conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, Virtual Health Library, and Cochrane Library databases. Studies that addressed the use of early stimulation in playful and interactive environments in children with microcephaly were included. There were no restrictions on the publication date or language of the studies. The outcomes assessed were muscle tone, social interaction, fine and gross motor skills, intelligence quotient, socioemotional and adaptive behavior of the child. The methodological quality and the scientific evidence level were assessed using the Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies of Interventions, the Revised Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized trials and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation.

Data synthesis: 264 articles were identified, but only 7 met the eligibility criteria. The included studies had a total population of 125 individuals, with sample sizes ranging from 1 to 71 participants.

Conclusions: The studies showed low evidence of an effect of early intervention on the outcomes muscle tone, social interaction, fine and gross motor skills, intelligence quotient, and socioemotional and adaptive behavior in children with microcephaly. However, further randomized clinical trials are needed.