Birth Defects Affect 7 Percent of Zika-Exposed Babies: Study

From U.S. News
March 14, 2018

A new study of pregnant women in the Caribbean further confirms that Zika virus causes birth defects, particularly if infection occurs early in pregnancy.

About 7 percent of Zika-infected women in French territories of the Caribbean delivered babies that suffered from birth defects of the brain and eyes, researchers report.

These numbers are close to those reflected in the United States’ registry tracking the outcomes of Zika-affected pregnancies, researchers noted.

The virus “should definitely be added to the list of infectious agents that can cause severe birth defects, as are rubella virus, cytomegalovirus and others,” said lead researcher Dr. Bruno Hoen. He’s head of infectious and tropical diseases at Pointe-a-Pitre Hospital in Guadeloupe.

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