Ok, let’s talk about Zika and pregnancy
Hoping to pass along some sanity in this scary world of ours
Birth defects. Brain malformation. Babies with small heads and developmental challenges.
Hearing these words and seeing the pictures has mamas-to-be collectively grabbing their bellies, checking their travel plans and frantically googling a relatively mild illness they will probably never encounter.
Zika: The boogie man scaring the shit out of pregnant women all over the world.
First of all, yes, we have good reason to be freaked out.
While researchers are still frantically trying to determine the causal link between Zika infection and microcephaly, they have growing evidence that it exists. The WHO announced a suggested restriction on pregnant moms traveling to Zika infected areas. Some countries have even gone so far as to asking women to postpone planned pregnancies until 2018 (looking at you, El Salvador). And the CDC just made yet another terrifying announcement that basically amounts to “no woman is safe unless she is in Canada.”
So, no, I do not mean to downplay this.
If I was still pregnant, I would be checking my travel plans and googling the hell out of “Zika + pregnancy” with the rest of the bump-ed moms out there. (After all, I am the one who freaked out over a headline about Organic milk decreasing my baby’s IQ.)
But, this is not another article about how your baby’s brain may be affected by this scary bug. In honor of those carrying around a tiny uterine passenger, I would like to run down the facts and let you decide how to quiet the Zika boogie man keeping you up at night.
Beware of Brazil… and Colombia… and Venezuela… and…
Ah, those travel restrictions. They help if you still have time to change travel plans but can spike your anxiety if you already ventured there.
But take a deep breath, mama.
Microcephaly linked to Zika in traveling moms is incredibly rare.
The CDC released a report last week of all reported cases of Zika and microcephaly in American citizens who traveled to Zika hot spots during their pregnancy. Between August 2015 and February 2016, 267 Zika screenings were requested, 151 moms had symptoms aligned with Zika, 9 cases of Zika were confirmed, 1 baby was born with microcephaly.
The baby born with microcephaly gestated in a mom who lived in the hot zone for her entire first trimester. In contrast, a perfectly healthy baby was born after her mother visited Brazil and contracted Zika at week 15.
Even in the most exposed populations, microcephaly is still pretty rare. An increase in microcephaly cases has only been shown in Brazil so far. The map below highlights that about 1300 cases of microcephaly have been documented in the hot zones of Zika infection. Just to put this into perspective: Brazil has the 5th largest population in the world (about 210 million people) and a birth rate of ~15 births/1000 people. Only 755 cases total of microcephaly have been tied to Zika. 745 of these are in Brazil.
Beware of the mosquito: Aedes aegypti
The lady Aedes aegypti mosquito transmits Zika and a whole host of tropical diseases when she goes after your blood. (The great irony of this epidemic: only the female mosquito bites and she uses the blood meal for the health of her eggs.)
She prefers the day time. Dawn and dusk are her favorite times to chomp.
She hates bug spray, extra layers that she can’t stick her proboscis through, and doors leading to air conditioned buildings that hide her meals inside.
Take note.
Yes, this little critter has reached the shores of the United States. Mostly in the southern states.
update 8/1 — Florida is seeing a bump in Zika cases. The cases appear to be isolated to a specific area and the numbers are pretty small (4 cases that appear to be locally transmitted) but it is still a cause for caution… and bug spray. Lots of bug spray.
Beware the traveling bed buddy!
New warnings have gone out about the sexual transmission of Zika. With evidence suggesting that the illness spreads from infected men harboring the sneaky little Zika bug in their semen.
So far, there have been three, THREE, confirmed cases worldwide of Zika infections that were “locally acquired without vector-borne transmission”. From this fancy terminology, the explanation has been simplified to sex. These three lucky (and not pregnant) ladies picked up Zika by having sex with an infected partner.
Like most STD’s, if you are worried, use a condom or deny that traveling bed buddy lovin’ until the infection window closes (at least two weeks to show symptoms, one week or more for Zika hanging out in blood and possibly a bit longer in the semen.)
Have no fear, the end may be in sight?
The reason Zika has reached epidemic proportions comes from basic immunology. The Americas and their human populations have never seen Zika - individuals don’t have immunity because their bodies have never created the antibodies to fight the infection. But you know what creates antibodies? Exposure to Zika.
A recent model has suggested that after this first wave of Zika, rates of infection will nose-dive to almost negligible levels. With an immune population, the cycles of transmission will be broken.
(note: the infographic below is actually how the CDC explains vector transmission. Not a joke.)
Breathing normally again?
Now let’s step back and into the shoes of all mamas-to-be collectively clutching their bellies. During pregnancy, we get easily freaked out by news like Zika and microcephaly because we have one very important task. We have to build a human being from scratch, using the very pieces of our own body. A whole 9 1/2 months to worry about the good stuff coming in and the bad stuff staying out. 9 1/2 months to worry about how our choices and our surroundings could screw up a perfectly good combination of egg and sperm.
With Zika looming, most of us can ditch our babymoon plans, douse ourselves in bug spray, and hide out in air conditioned buildings. But a lot of mothers don’t have these options.
So as we collectively clutch out bellies or snuggle our healthy babies a bit tighter, let’s remember the moms who cannot escape the Zika world. Let’s take some responsibility as a Community of Moms (and dads!) and show them our support.
Here are a few resources finding ways to help:
MAP International — provides mosquito repellent, antibiotics, and pain relievers in the affected countries.
Operation Blessing International — providing mosquito nets to pregnant women in El Salvador and Haiti. Monitoring affected moms with newly purchased portable ultrasound machines.
Direct Relief — providing mosquito nets in Haiti.
Save the Children — educating people (especially pregnant women) about the virus to minimize infection. Also looking to limit breeding grounds for mosquitoes by adapting their existing water and sanitation programs.
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To read more articles at the intersection of pregnancy, science, and technology, follow our publication 40 weeks or check out what we’re doing at bloom.life
