The CDC Vital Signs study is the first comprehensive analysis that focuses on pregnant women entered into the US Zika Pregnancy Registry (USZPR) in the 50 U.S. states and DC from December 1, 2015, through December 27, 2016,
There was a total of 1,297 pregnancies with possible recent Zika virus infection reported to the USZPR from 44 states in 2016. The study focused on completed pregnancies, including those pregnancies ending in a live birth, stillbirth, miscarriage, or termination. There were 972 out of the 1,297 pregnancies under this category.
Of the 972 completed pregnancies in the study’s time-frame, 51 (5 percent) resulted in Zika-related birth defects. However, when the researchers only looked at laboratory-confirmed Zika virus cases, excluding “suspected cases,” the number rose to 10 percent, according to Gizmodo.
It was also found that women infected with the Zika virus in the first trimester of their pregnancies ran the highest risk of having fetuses or babies with Zika associated birth defects. It has been known for some time that getting a Zika infection during the early part of a woman’s pregnancy put the fetus at great risk.
CTV News Canada points out that the Zika virus can cause microcephaly in babies, an irreversible condition where the child’s brain and skull are unusually small and misshapen. Even though a child may not show any outward signs of microcephaly, they can still go on to have developmental delays.
The findings underscore the serious risks for Zika virus infections in pregnant women and the need for physicians to be up to date on the latest information surrounding the virus and recommended protocols used to protect the mother and the baby. And with summer just around the corner, that risk is going to rise. Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, recorded 37,000 cases of Zika since 2015 and maintains its own Zika registry.
