Zika virus is news all over the globe, so you may be wondering how it may affect you and your baby.
You may be especially concerned about a link between having the virus and giving birth to a baby with a small head, and subsequently, a smaller brain. This is a birth defect and neurological problem called microcephaly. Experts have observed an increase in babies being born with microcephaly and other problems in countries where there has been a large number of Zika infections, such as Brazil.
Although there is an increased number of babies in Brazil being born with microcephaly to moms who had or may have had Zika in pregnancy, more research needs to be done to truly know if the virus caused microcephaly in their babies.
So far, most of the people diagnosed with Zika in the U.S. have recently traveled to one of the Caribbean or Latin American countries where there is a known outbreak of the virus. If you or someone you know hasn?t been to these countries, your risk of Zika affecting your pregnancy is very low. Being informed about any disease and knowing how to protect yourself is always important, so here are some common questions and answers from the experts at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) about Zika. Keep up to date on Zika at CDC.gov/zika. Can Zika affect me or my baby"
Zika is spread through mosquito bites. Zika is transmitted particularly by the Aedes mosquito, which bites mostly during the day. These same mosquitoes are found in the sou...