One out of every 12 fetuses or babies of pregnant women with zika virus in the United States had birth defects associated with this disease, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released today.
According to the CDC, 8% of women with Zika-confirmed infection during the first trimester of pregnancy had a baby or fetus with birth defects associated with this virus, and in total there were more than 120 pregnancies in states United States, Puerto Rico and other territories under its jurisdiction.
“The Zika virus poses a major threat to pregnant women and their babies, no matter when the infection is diagnosed during pregnancy,” CDC interim director Anne Schuchat told a news conference on theme.
The CDC analyzed between January 1, 2016 and April 25, 2017 the cases of 2,549 women with possible Zika virus infection who completed their pregnancies, of whom 1,508 had Zika virus infection confirmed.
The report found that the proportion of babies born with birth defects associated with Zika varies according to the trimester in which the infection was diagnosed, with 8% in the first trimester, 5% in the second and 4% in the first trimester. third.
The study is the first on completed pregnancies that includes a sufficient number of cases of Zika virus infections detected during the three trimesters of pregnancy, allowing a preliminary estimate of the risk in each trimester, according to the CDC.
Of the 2,464 infants born alive to women with evidence of possible virus infection, 52% underwent recommended imaging head examinations and a hearing screening test at 79%, according to the report.
Authorities stressed the importance of preventing Zika virus infection throughout pregnancy and emphasized the importance of follow-up care for infants with congenital infection with the virus.
“We encourage people living in areas at risk for the Zika virus to talk to their doctor about the risks and measures they can take to prevent exposure to mosquito bites and sexual transmission, The official added.
Territories under US jurisdiction include American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Virgin Islands.
