Are We Ready to Handle a Case of Microcephaly?

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Local capability to deal with a case of microcephaly, or a baby born with a head that is smaller than usual, is one of the areas that officials from the US Centers for Disease Control are reviewing.

In Brazil microzcphaply has occurred in babies of women who contracted the Zika virus while they were pregnant.

In the territory, nine women who contracted Zika while they were carrying, have given birth.

None of their babies have developed any signs of the virus.

However health officials are monitoring the infants, as there have been cases of babies born of Zika infected mothers who don’t show any signs of the disease at birth but in a matter of months, their heads shrink.

Epidemiologist, Dr. Gerry Farjardo, from the Division of Preparedness and Emerging Infections, Emergency Preparedness and Response from CDC headquarters in Atlanta asked DOH officials if they are prepared for a microcephaly case.

Deputy Director of Nursing Margaret Sesepasara, says a protocol is to be drawn up, with input from a CDC official and local pediatricians.

The babies of mothers who had Zika are being monitored under a partnership between LBJ Hospial. DOH, Helping Hands and well baby clinics.

Dr. Farjardo related that Puerto Rico where he also worked, has a protocol for microcephaly as there have been cases found there.

But other babies are born without any signs of the condition and CDC is still conducting research on those infants.

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