Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Babies Can Develop Microcephaly From Zika Months After Birth
The New York Times: Microcephaly Found In Babies Of Zika-Infected Mothers Months After Birth
It is the news that doctors and families in the heart of Zika territory had feared: Some babies not born with the unusually small heads that are the most severe hallmark of brain damage as a result of the virus have developed the condition, called microcephaly, as they have grown older. (Belluck, 11/22)
The Washington Post: Normal Head Size At Birth Doesn’t Rule Out Microcephaly, Zika Syndrome After Birth
A study released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides disturbing new data about a small group of Zika-infected babies in Brazil, who were born with normal-size heads but developed microcephaly five months to a year after birth. The report is the first to document infants with laboratory evidence of Zika infection in utero who experienced “poor head growth with microcephaly developing after birth.” Although other researchers have described cases of babies developing microcephaly after birth, they could only presume that those infants had been infected congenitally. (Sun, 11/22)
The Hill: CDC: Zika Effects Can Appear Months After Birth
Babies born with the Zika virus may develop life-threatening brain abnormalities months after birth, according to a new study by U.S. researchers. The study, which was published Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), raises a new cause alarm for the thousands of pregnant women infected with the virus worldwide. For the first time, the CDC confirms that Zika-infected infants who appear to be born healthy could go on develop severe brain damage as early as five months after birth. (Ferris, 11/22)
