Mosquito-Borne Viruses, Zika and Pregnancy

This study suggests that the risk of microcephaly is especially high with a Zika infection during the first trimester of pregnancy. Teams of scientists from CDC are now in Brazil, where the connection was first identified, working with local health officials to conduct the first large-scale investigation into Zika and microcephaly. That research will take time. We now know that when a woman becomes infected with rubella, also known as German measles, during her first trimester of pregnancy, her baby has up to an 80 percent chance of being born with a wide range of birth defects -- including deafness, eye defects, heart defects, and cognitive impairments -- known as congenital rubella syndrome. But it took more than a decade for that link to be definitively verified. We are likely to know still more about Zika and microcephaly in May, when two "case control" studies are expected, but the World Health Organization has said that it's likely to be closer to six months before we can say with some certainty that there is a direct connection. So what should you do until then? If you're pregnant or want to become pregnant soon, you should postpone travel to Zika outbreak areas. The CDC's most current recommendation is that pregnant women in any trimester delay trips to any area where the Zika virus is spreading. If your partner is pregnant, postpone travel to Zika outbreak areas or use protection when you return. Men who have traveled to a Zika-infected area are cautione...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news