Scientists have found a disturbing new component to the birth defects associated with the Zika virus. In one of the first studies published related to the recent Zika outbreak, researchers in Brazil documented the eye abnormalities in babies with a traditionally rare condition called microcephaly. Babies with the condition are born with abnormally small brains, which can be connected with other complications.
It’s not unusual for vision problems to be associated with microcephaly. They found that in one-third of babies with microcephaly — after a presumed Zika infection before they were born — there was an additional eye abnormality that could threaten their vision. Ten of the 29 babies observed had irregularities in one eye or both eyes, and about 80% of the mothers reported Zika-like symptoms during their pregnancy. FULL REPORT
