Brain Scans of Brazilian Babies Show Array of Zika EffectsAugust 24, 2016 |
The images tell a heartbreaking story: Zika’s calamitous attack on the brains of babies — as seen from the inside.
A study of brain scans and ultrasound pictures of 45 Brazilian babies whose mothers were infected with Zika in pregnancy shows that the virus can inflict serious damage to many different parts of the fetal brain beyond microcephaly, the condition of unusually small heads that has become the sinister signature of Zika.
The images, published Tuesday in the journal Radiology, also suggest a grim possibility: Because some of the damage was seen in brain areas that continue to develop after birth, it may be that babies born without obvious impairment will experience problems as they grow.
The New York Times
