UMEM Educational Pearls

Title: Congenital Zika Syndrome

Keywords: Zika, arbovirus, pregnancy, congenital (PubMed Search)

Posted: 2/15/2017 by Jon Mark Hirshon, PhD, MPH, MD (Updated: 11/22/2024)
Click here to contact Jon Mark Hirshon, PhD, MPH, MD

Congenital infection with the Zika virus is associated with 5 types of birth defects

· These are rarely or never seen with other infections during pregnancy

· These defects are:

1. Severe microcephaly (small head size) resulting in a partially collapsed skull

2. Decreased brain tissue with brain damage

3. Damage to the back of the eye with a specific pattern of scarring and increased pigment

4. Limited range of joint motion, such as clubfoot

5. Too much muscle tone restricting body movement soon after birth

https://www.cdc.gov/zika/pregnancy/