Approximately a quarter of the infants born to mothers exposed to the Zika virus while pregnant are receiving recommended follow-up brain scans, according to an NBC News report citing statements made by an expert with the CDC during a House of Representatives' hearing Tuesday.
According to Lyle Peterson, MD, a vector-borne disease expert with the CDC, many Zika-related birth defects may be going undetected as they may manifest months after birth.
"Only about one in four babies born to women with Zika virus infection during pregnancy are receiving the recommended brain imaging after birth," Dr. Petersen told the House Energy and Commerce oversight subcommittee, according to NBC News. "Some brain abnormalities are only identified with brain imaging, suggesting that the impact of Zika on babies born to mothers infected with the virus may be underestimated."
As of May 9, the CDC has documented 1,845 cases of pregnant women exposed to Zika in U.S. states and the District of Columbia and 3,795 cases of maternal exposure to Zika in U.S. territories. In 2016, approximately 10 percent of children born to mothers with confirmed Zika infections in the U.S. had a baby or fetus with birth defects.
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