Eye Damage in Babies
Zika virus in infants can cause Microcephaly, a condition that causes children to be born with unusually small heads. But the virus could also cause vision problems in children. Brazilian Researchers, on February 9, 2016, reported damage to the retina or optic never in 10 of 29 newborns at Roberto Santos General Hospital in Salvador, Brazil. The study was published in the JAMA Ophthalmology. All the children were presumed to have Zika virus.
Among the 10 newborns with vision defects, seven children had defects in both the eyes, while three children had damage in a single eye. Black speckled lesions in the back of the eye, large areas of tissue damage in the retina itself, or damage in the layer of blood vessels and tissue below the retina are noticed. The lesions in the eye can't be repaired, but doctors say that the earlier the diagnosis is made, the better.
Doctors are now suggesting that infants with microcephaly should get their vision checked routinely.
According to a study published in JAMA, Zika virus could cause severe retina lesions that will impede the ability of children to look well.
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