Region 3 Women's Health Announcement: Zika Information

August 8, 2018

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) knows how important it is for you to have the latest public health prevention and treatment information to help promote healthy activities where you live, work, and play. This women's health announcement contains useful tools and resources for individuals, communities, and organizations alike. CDC's August Vital Signs: Zika in babies in U.S. territories This month’s CDC Vital Signs report is the largest report on longer-term outcomes related to Zika virus in U.S. babies, and highlights the importance of monitoring the health and development of these babies into early childhood. Over 4,800 pregnancies in the U.S. territories and freely associated states had a laboratory result showing confirmed or possible Zika virus infection from 2016-2018. From these pregnancies, 1,450 babies were one year or older by February 1, 2018, and had any follow-up care reported to the U.S. Zika Pregnancy and Infant Registry. About 1 in 7 of these 1,450 babies had one or more recognized health problems possibly caused by Zika reported. About 6% of these babies had Zika-associated birth defects, such as small head size, brain damage, or eye damage. About 9%had nervous system problems possibly caused by Zika, such as seizures, problems with swallowing and moving, or learning delays. Many of these health problems were not recognized at birth. Only 1 in 3 of these 1,450 babies had an eye exam by an eye doctor reported. Without evaluation, some health problems might go undetected. This CDC Vital Signs was released on Tuesday, August 7, 2018.  Please share the CDC Vital Signs information with your colleagues and partners. Visit the CDC Vital Signs webpage and share the CDC Vital Signs, MMWR Early Release, fact sheet, and other materials. Share information on your social media channels. Save time by taking advantage of CDC’s social media tools. Use the content syndication service to have CDC Vital Signs sent directly to your own website for display. You are invited to join the Vital Signs Town Hall Teleconference on August 14 at 2:00 pm (EST). Region 3 Women's Health CoordinatorSarah Shrimplin-Yacoub, M.P.H.sarah.shrimplin@hhs.gov The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) in Region 3 consists of states DE, MD, PA, VA, WV, and Washington, DC.