A recent study published in the JAMA Ophthalmology Journal showed that Zika virus may be responsible for eye damage in newborns. This is in addition to microcephaly, a condition characterized with having a very small head.
In a report by Yahoo News, the study evaluated 29 infants at the Roberto Santos General Hospital in Salvador, Brazil, who are already suffering from microcephaly. Mothers of 23 infants admitted to showing signs and symptoms related to the Zika virus during pregnancy. Eighteen of them said that the symptoms became apparent during the first trimester. Some of these symptoms include fever, rash, headache, joint pain, and itching.
Out of the 29 infants, 35 percent showed eye abnormalities that threaten vision. The abnormality appears either in one eye or in both. The eye problems that were found include black lesions located in the back portion of the eye, and damage to the tissues and blood vessels of the retina.
New York Times stated that seven out of ten newborns sustained abnormalities in both eyes. Three suffered from eye damage in one eye.
According Dr. Lee M. Jampol, Northwestern University professor and one of the authors of the editorial that accompanied the study, "Exactly how much these babies can see is unknown at this point." He also said that the lesions in the eye mean that there is damage.
Dr. Rubens Belfort Jr., the senior author of the study and an ophthalmology professor at the Federal University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, said that the lesions cannot be repaired however, "the earlier you make the diagnosis, the better." Relying on his own experience, he can see that many of the babies will grow up becoming blind.
Due to the findings from the study, the authors recommended that infants suffering from micocephaly receive a routine eye checkup to check for the presence of lesions. Dr. Jampol added that, "Any baby with a damaged retina has to be followed to make sure they develop the best vision possible."
While it is not clear if the eye damage occurs in utero the moment the baby is exposed to Zika virus, it is still important to consider the possibility so that the proper preventive measures may be taken. At this point where no cure for Zika is available, early diagnosis can mean so much for babies.
