CDC Begins Reporting Pregnancy and Birth Outcomes of Women Affected by Zika Virus During Pregnancy

WHAT:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will begin reporting poor outcomes of pregnancies with laboratory evidence of possible Zika virus infection. Starting today, CDC will report two types of outcomes:

• Live-born infants with birth defects and
• Pregnancy losses with birth defects

These numbers for US states and the District of Columbia come from the U.S. Zika Pregnancy Registry. In coming weeks, CDC will begin reporting Zika-linked poor pregnancy outcomes in the U.S. territories.

Zika virus infection during pregnancy has been linked to adverse outcomes including pregnancy loss and microcephaly. Despite these observations, little is known about the risks of Zika virus infection during pregnancy. To understand more about Zika, CDC, in collaboration with state, local, tribal and territorial health departments, established the U.S. Zika Pregnancy Registry to actively monitor pregnancies for a broad range of poor outcomes. The poor birth outcomes reported today include those that are known to be caused by Zika (e.g., microcephaly and other severe fetal brain defects) as well as others linked to Zika infection during pregnancy (e.g., eye defects).

CDC’s top priority for the Zika response is to protect pregnant women and women of childbearing age because of the potential risks associated with Zika virus infection during pregnancy. Reporting the poor outcomes of pregnancies with any laboratory evidence of Zika virus infection will contribute to our understanding of the ongoing effect of Zika virus among pregnant women in US and ensure that the most up-to-date information about pregnancy outcomes linked with Zika virus is publicly available. In addition, the information is essential for planning at the federal, tribal, state, and local levels for clinical, public health, and other services needed to support pregnant women and families affected by Zika.

WHO:
Denise J. Jamieson, MD, Chief, Women’s Health and Fertility Branch, Division of Reproductive Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and co-lead of the CDC Zika pregnancy task force

CONTACT:
To schedule interviews, please contact (404) 639-3286, media@cdc.gov

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES