Zika Virus

The List of Zika Birth Defects Is Even Longer Than We Thought

Since the Centers for Disease Control confirmed that the Zika virus could cause microcephaly in newborns, the list of the effects of the virus only continues to grow.

According to Scientific American, research to be presented at a teratology conference in San Antonio, Texas, next week states that babies born seemingly healthy after exposure to the virus could exhibit other symptoms, such as serious joint problems, seizures, vision impairment, and developmental delays.

This news comes a week after a New England Journal of Medicine study reported that Zika-infected women who show no symptoms can still give birth to babies with birth defects. However, the same study is presenting more fortunate news about the virus. Women infected with Zika in their third trimester have virtually no chance of giving birth to babies with birth defects.

These two studies together suggest more evidence that the later a pregnant woman is infected with the Zika virus, the less severe the birth defects.

Research continues into the virus, especially as the Summer Olympics in Rio loom closer and more people back out due to the mosquito-borne threat. As more Zika-infected women give birth, more will be known about it and the more we can learn.