Zika virus has been recognized to cause microcephaly or unusually small heads among newborn babies. Now, a new study suggests that the virus may also be linked to a vision-threatening eye problem.
Zika has spread widely in Brazil and other parts of South America. Recent data show that newborns with microcephaly also exhibit signs of vision-threatening conditions that is likely to be related to Zika.
To determine whether the eye problem is a part of the puzzle, researchers examined the eye health status of infants born with microcephaly, which was presumed to be caused by intrauterine Zika virus.
The study involved 29 infants with microcephaly or those with a head circumference of less than or equal to 32 centimeters (about 13 inches). The experiment was performed from Dec. 1 to Dec. 21, 2015.
The results of the research, published in JAMA Ophthalmology, show that 23 or 79.3 percent of mothers reported signs and symptoms of Zika virus during pregnancy.
The researchers examined the eyes of the 29 babies. They found that out of the 58 eyes studied, 17 eyes belonging to 10 infants exhibited eye abnormalities.
Given that a significant percentage of babies with microcephaly also show eye problems, the scientists suggest performing routine eye checks to other babies with the same conditions.
"Infants with microcephaly should undergo routine ophthalmologic evaluations to identify such lesions," the authors wrote.
The researchers acknowledge that their study has limitations. First, the study was only conducted among patients in one hospital only. Second, the sample size is small and lastly, there is a significant lack of previous data prior to the investigation.
The authors also say that they were not able confirm whether the results are unique to this population or are applicable to presumed Zika virus infection.
In accompanying editorial, also published in JAMA Ophthalmology, experts from Feinberg School of Medicine suggest testing all babies born in epidemic regions for eye problems if they were born with microcephaly. For them, it is still early to recommend eye testing in all babies (even those without microcephaly) in epidemic areas.
