Media Outlets Report On Recent Studies Examining Zika’s Impact On Fetal, Infant Brains

Forbes: Negative Effects Of Zika During Pregnancy More Common Than Realized
“The rate of birth defects, disability, and brain irregularities in babies exposed to the Zika virus is considerably higher than was previously believed — regardless of the mother’s symptoms or the trimester she had the infection — found a new study…” (Haelle, 12/14).

Reuters: Zika virus can keep growing in infant brains even after birth: U.S. CDC
“U.S. researchers have found evidence of the Zika virus replicating in fetal brains for up to seven months after the mother became infected with the virus, and they showed the virus can persist even after birth, according to a study published on Tuesday. The findings confirm earlier observations from case studies suggesting that the mosquito-borne Zika virus can grow in fetal brains and women’s placentas…” (Steenhuysen, 12/13).

Science: First hard look at Zika pregnancies finds nearly half result in miscarriage or birth defects
“New data from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, suggest that nearly half of women infected with Zika virus during pregnancy experience a serious complication, whether a miscarriage or significant birth defect, in their baby. The data are the first to quantify the risks to women infected at different times during pregnancy, and they seem to confirm that they are highest early in pregnancy. But the study also finds significant problems among women infected just a few weeks before giving birth. Microcephaly is the best known birth defect, but those dramatic cases represent only a small proportion of children damaged by the virus…” (Vogel, 12/13).

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