According to a new study pregnancies of women who have been infected by Zika virus are close to twenty times more likely to give birth to babies with certain birth defects in comparison to those who have not been infected. A new study compares pregnancies before and after the Zika virus had spread throughout the United states. The purpose of the study according to the CDC is to determine how common birth defects, such as microcephaly, brain abnormalities, eye defects, and nervous system problems were before Zika virus.
Zika infection during pregnancy is linked to a distinct pattern of birth defects, however, all abnormalities are not unique to Zika. There are genetic factors and other viral infections that can cause birth defects, such as lack of oxygen during labor and delivery.
Researchers analyzed birth defects from surveillance programs in the United States and identified 747 infants and fetuses with one or more birth defect. From 2013 through 2014 the prevalence was about 3 for every 1,000 births. Defects included the entire range of abnormalities associated with Zika, from microcephaly, characterized by abnormally small heads and often undeveloped brains, to vision problems and cerebral palsy.
Data shows that in the U.S. Zika pregnancy registry identified 26 infants and fetuses with these birth defects among 442 completed pregnancies during a nine-month period in 2016. Birth defects were present in about 6 percent had a birth defect.
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Source: The Washington Post
