Costa Rica News – Children born with congenital Zika will face lifelong difficulties. These include the inability to sit up alone, sight and hearing problems, seizures and difficulties with sleeping and feeding.
This information is from a study looking at 19 children with this condition in Brazil. It’s the first study to analyze kids between 19 and 24 months of age as it is a new disease and they are the first patients to reach these ages.
This syndrome is due to a woman being infected by the virus during her pregnancy. It is transmitted through the placenta. This causes neurological alterations. The most common symptom is microcephaly. It can also cause sinking of the skull, irritability and crying that can exceed 20 hours a day.
As children affected by congenital Zika syndrome grow up, they will need specialized care from health and educational professionals. The findings of this study can be used to help plan long-term care and look for better ways to try to reduce the impact on quality of life.
This year in Costa Rica seven children have been born with Zika.
