Introduction: Although coronavirus disease ۲۰۱۹ (COVID-۱۹) predominantly involves the respiratory system,currently, it is known that it is a multisystem disease involving different organs. Initially, neurologic manifestationswere thought to be rare; however, these complications were diagnosed more frequently in adults and
children overtime. Given the increased number and severity of
COVID-۱۹ infection in children, the neurologic manifestationsshould not be overlooked in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of this population. This study aimed toevaluate the
neurologic symptoms of
COVID-۱۹ in patients admitted to Bandar Abbas Children's Hospital.methods: This descriptive-analytical study included ۱۳۹
children with
COVID-۱۹ admitted to Bandar AbbasChildren's Hospital, in ۲۰۲۰. The required information, including age, sex, vital signs, hospital length of stay, signsand symptoms of neurologic involvement such as encephalopathy, decreased level of consciousness, headache,anosmia, dizziness, seizure, meningitis, ataxia, encephalitis, peripheral neuropathy, and cranial nerve involvement,and finally, mortality were extracted from the patients' medical files and recorded in a researcher-made checklist.Results: Of the ۱۳۹
children with
COVID-۱۹ evaluated in this study, ۷۳ (۵۲/۵%) were male, and ۶۶ (۴۷/۵%) werefemale. Their mean age was ۴/۳۵۳ ± /۸۳ years. Overall, ۲۸ patients (۲۰/۱%) developed neurologic symptoms. Themost common neurologic symptom was headache (۱۰/۱%), followed by seizure (۸/۶%), and dizziness (۲/۲%). Also,decreased level of consciousness was observed in ۱/۴% and encephalopathy in ۰.۷%. None of the patients developedanosmia, meningitis, ataxia, encephalitis, peripheral neuropathy, and cranial nerve involvement. Neurologicsymptoms were significantly correlated with age (P=۰.۰۱۲), so that their highest frequency was observed in childrenaged ≥۵ years. Neurologic symptoms were not associated with sex (P=۰/۲۵۲). Finally, ۳ patients (۲/۲%) died.Neurologic symptoms were present in ۳۳.۳% of those who died and ۱۹.۹% of those who survived, with nostatistically significant difference (P=۰/۴۹۴). The mean hospital length of stay was slightly higher in
children withneurologic symptoms than in those without such symptoms; however, the difference was not statisticallysignificant(P=۰/۳۳۷).Conclusions: The prevalence of
neurologic symptoms was relatively high in
children with COVID-۱۹, and the mostcommon symptom was headache. It appears that
children aged ≥۵ years more likely develop COVID-۱۹-relatedneurologic symptoms. Moreover, this study showed no correlation between
neurologic symptoms with hospital lengthof stay and mortality.