(KUTV) Nurse Dani from Intermountain Moms talked concerning exactly how Zika affects pregnancy.
A lot of people have actually questions concerning Zika Virus and specifically, exactly how it affects pregnancy. Also if it’s not deemed an immediate threat in our state, it may come to be one in the future and you have actually to think of it if you are taking a trip as well. The naked truth is we’re still discovering Considerably concerning it and there are points we already know and points we don’t know:
What we do know:
- The Zika virus can easily be spread from a pregnant woman to her fetus.
- Infection throughout pregnancy can easily create certain birth defects.
- Zika is spread mostly by the bite of an infected species of mosquito.
- Zika is not currently discovered in the continental United States. The mosquitoes that can easily carry Zika are discovered in some spots of the U.S.
- Because the mosquitoes that spread Zika are discovered throughout the tropics, outbreaks will certainly most likely occur.
- Currently, there is no vaccine or medicine for Zika.
- Zika can easily be spread by a man through sexual contact and for this reason, if your male companion lives in or travels to a spot damaged by Zika, you ought to usage condoms whenever or technique abstinence throughout pregnancy.
What we don’t know:
- We don’t already know if there’s a benign time throughout pregnancy to travel to a spot along with Zika.
- We don’t already know exactly how most likely you are to come to be infected if you travel and get hold of bitten by mosquitoes.
- We don’t already know exactly how most likely it is that a pregnant woman will certainly have actually a baby born along with birth defects related to the infection.
If you travel to or have actually traveled to an damaged area, ACOG (The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) recommends antibody testing, despite symptoms. Allow your doctor already know if you have actually traveled to Central America, Southern America, Cape Verde in Africa, American Samoa, Samoa, or Tonga. Pregnant women in any sort of trimester of pregnancy ought to think of postponing travel to these areas. If you do go, talk along with your OB provider very first and strictly follow actions to stay clear of mosquito bites while traveling.
**Note: Microcephaly is a birth defect associated along with Zika virus and it is a condition where a baby’s head is considerably smaller sized compared to expected. throughout pregnancy, a baby’s head grows Due to the fact that the baby’s mind grows. Microcephaly can easily occur Due to the fact that a baby’s mind has actually not produced properly throughout pregnancy or has actually stopped growing after birth, which outcomes in a smaller sized head size. Microcephaly can easily be an isolated condition, meaning that it can easily occur along with no others severe birth defects, or it can easily occur in combination along with others severe birth defects.
**Symptoms are typically mild and include: fever, rash, joint pain, red eyes.
**Precautions include: using long-sleeved shirts and pants, manage your suiting up along with permethrin (insect repellent that shouldn’t be used on the skin, however is used to manage clothes), remain in locations that have actually windows or screens that will certainly maintain mosquitoes out, slumber under a mosquito bed net if sleeping outdoors. Once it pertains to insect repellents, used Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered repellents. If making use of along with sunscreen, use sunscreen first.
