The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) is monitoring 30 babies either born or currently residing in Connecticut to mothers who had tested positive for Zika virus or Flavivirus during their pregnancies.
Of the 30 births DPH is monitoring, two babies have been confirmed to have Zika-related birth defects, which can include microcephaly, while another nine have borderline birth defects, according to DPH.
Microcephaly is a condition where a baby’s head is much smaller than expected. Microcephaly can be an isolated condition or it can occur in combination with other major birth defects. Babies with microcephaly can have a range of other problems, including seizures, developmental delays, intellectual disabilities, and hearing and vision loss.
DPH, in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is monitoring all pregnancies where Zika or Flavivirus was diagnosed in the mother and is conducting follow-up monitoring, per CDC guidelines, at birth, two, six, and 12 months after birth for signs of Zika-related birth defects in the babies. DPH also is monitoring nine women who are pregnant with laboratory evidence of confirmed Zika virus or Flavivirus.
“It is critical that we work with pediatricians to monitor these babies for signs of microcephaly or other Zika-related birth defects throughout the first year of life because we have seen that these defects are not necessarily readily apparent at birth,” DPH Commissioner Dr. Raul Pino said in a statement. “Any baby who has signs of Zika-related birth defects will receive further monitoring, and we will be assisting the families and pediatricians with ensuring that both baby and family receive the services and supports that they will need to address the baby’s issues.”
