What birth defects are caused by Zika?

Zika and Microcephaly Microcephaly is a birth defect in which a baby’s head is smaller than expected when compared to babies of the same sex and age. Babies with microcephaly often have smaller brains that might not have developed properly. Zika virus infection during pregnancy is a cause of microcephaly.

Can Zika cause congenital abnormalities?

Zika virus infection during pregnancy can lead to congenital Zika syndrome and other birth defects.

How common are Zika birth defects?

Proportion with Birth Defects is about 5% Among women with confirmed or possible Zika virus infection during pregnancy, Zika-associated birth defects occurred in about 5% of babies born to women in U.S. states and territories.

Can Zika virus affect babies already born?

Most people with Zika virus infection do not develop symptoms. Zika virus infection during pregnancy can cause infants to be born with microcephaly and other congenital malformations, known as congenital Zika syndrome.

What happened to the babies with Zika?

About a year after the emergency was declared, researchers found that in the U.S., about 94% of babies born to women infected with Zika appeared to be normal at birth with no signs of microcephaly.

When is Zika a risk in pregnancy?

Among women with confirmed Zika infection during the first trimester, 8 percent — nearly 1 in 12 — had a baby or fetus with Zika-related birth defects. For infections in the second trimester, 5 percent were affected, and in the third trimester, 4 percent, according to the CDC.

How does Zika virus cause fetal abnormalities?

Consistency in the observed defects, was associated with brain anomalies that caused by the presence of ZIKV obtained from the brain tissues of the infants or the fetuses, further supporting the link between ZIKV infection and microcephaly (Kaslow et al., 2014; Rasmussen et al., 2016).

Does Zika affect future pregnancies?

Once someone has been infected with Zika, it’s very likely they’ll be protected from future infections. There is no evidence that past Zika infection poses an increased risk of birth defects in future pregnancies.

What are the birth defects caused by Zika?

The Zika Birth Defects Surveillance system monitors birth defects potentially related to Zika virus infection, including. Brain abnormalities. Microcephaly. Eye defects. Hearing loss. Other problems associated with damage to the brain that affects the Nerves.

Can you have a baby with congenital Zika syndrome?

Congenital Zika Syndrome. Some infants with congenital Zika virus infection who do not have microcephaly at birth may later experience slowed head growth and develop postnatal microcephaly. Recognizing that Zika is a cause of certain birth defects does not mean that every pregnant woman infected with Zika will have a baby with a birth defect.

Does Zika cause microcephaly?

Zika Infant Study. Some infants with congenital Zika virus infection who do not have microcephaly at birth may later experience slowed head growth and develop postnatal microcephaly. Recognizing that Zika is a cause of certain birth defects does not mean that every pregnant woman infected with Zika will have a baby with a birth defect.

What is the Zika pregnancy and infant registry?

It complemented the work of the US Zika Pregnancy and Infant Registry by monitoring infants with birth defects that might be associated with Zika virus infection, regardless of their laboratory tests. This system collected information on infants that the Registry might miss if the mother’s Zika virus infection during pregnancy was not detected.