I am an occupational therapist, and I work with a number of adults with microcephaly. While there certainly are challenges, I think it's important to keep in mind that, with the right supports, all people, regardless of ability, can lead fulfilling lives. Hopefully funding will be made available to provide these supports, including OT services, to families affected by the Zika virus.
"With the right supports, all people, can lead fulfilling lives." The unfortunate truth is that not "all" people, albeit very few, with this condition will have these costly supports, and as a result will have a quality of life that is lesser, if not completely compromised. The fact that evangelicals and the Roman Catholic Church are still impeding access to abortions for at risk pregnancies will only create greater issues in the future.
At least Republicans have refused to fund Zika research. As with global climate change, if you ignore it, it goes away.
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$350k is a tiny amount... that's the equivalent of what, two doctor salaries for one year? How does that even come close to funding the time for doctors to collect, share, disseminate, and review data as they care for thousands of exposed babies?
This is so incredibly sad.
Another way the Earth is telling us there are too many humans on this planet...
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And if Republicans in Congress had been willing to pass a bill to help study and counter Zika, instead of tying it up with their pet windmill of defunding Planned Parenthood, we could be protecting a lot more babies. Never has the phrase "pro-life" seemed more oxymoronic.
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There is already a great demand on services being provided by the states to children, and adults, with developmental disabilities. This could possibly hit the southern states very hard. Difficult to think how red states are going to grapple with this.
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Unbelievably callous politicians now rule in Washington. Refusing to pass legislation to combat Zika unless hundreds of millions of dollars are taken from family planning to be used by Planned Parenthood and unless confederate flags can be flown in military cemeteries. These are pols who refuse to give food stamps to hungry children and adults. These are the politicians who are opposed to family planning, abortion, and support forced birth. People need to vote in local elections.
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These are Republican pols, I think this should be made clear.
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People do vote in elections and they are electing these politicians. They are getting exactly what they asked for. Some Americans have blood on their hands.
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They often do not know what they are getting.
I am shocked by how few people are talking/ commenting here on the NYT about what a dramatic development Zika might be for reproduction practices around the world.
I suspect fertility rates in the US are about to plummet. When the Zika births begin, potential moms are going to be terrified. I had a neighbor/ friend with microcephaly and it is an extraordinarily difficult experience.
I suspect fertility rates in the US are about to plummet. When the Zika births begin, potential moms are going to be terrified. I had a neighbor/ friend with microcephaly and it is an extraordinarily difficult experience.
Perhaps funds should be given to look for a vaccine. In areas of the world where Zika is endemic, presumably most women get it as children, conferring lifelong immunity.
But now Zika is moving to NEW areas, where none of women of child bearing have had it.
It does seem that few readers are concerned with this nightmarish situation.
But now Zika is moving to NEW areas, where none of women of child bearing have had it.
It does seem that few readers are concerned with this nightmarish situation.
This fetuses need to be aborted upon diagnosis. Letting them be born is a promise of a short life of suffering for the child. No amount of medical spending or parental love will make their quality of life acceptable.
As I understand it, cases cannot be diagnosed until after 20-24 weeks. Unfortunately, it is illegal in many places to terminate at that point.
What diagnosis? The mother's? Most cases of Zika are indistinguishable from a cold, and don't get diagnosed. And apparently, 87% to 99% of children born to mothers who contracted Zika while pregnant don't have microcephaly.
The fetus's? Are you referring to microcephaly detected through an ultrasound? That might pick up many or most cases of microcephaly, if an ultrasound is done late enough in pregnancy to observe it. How many such ultrasounds are routinely being done? How many would actually pick up on all cases of microcephaly? How many would result in false positives, where the fetus is actually healthy?
A lot of Zika-related issues are going to become evident at birth, or long after. The article is not merely talking about microcephaly (which itself may come in varying degrees of severity). It's also talking about "children with more subtle developmental problems related to in utero exposure to the virus." You're surely not saying that subtle developmental problems invariably result in an unacceptable quality of life.
The fetus's? Are you referring to microcephaly detected through an ultrasound? That might pick up many or most cases of microcephaly, if an ultrasound is done late enough in pregnancy to observe it. How many such ultrasounds are routinely being done? How many would actually pick up on all cases of microcephaly? How many would result in false positives, where the fetus is actually healthy?
A lot of Zika-related issues are going to become evident at birth, or long after. The article is not merely talking about microcephaly (which itself may come in varying degrees of severity). It's also talking about "children with more subtle developmental problems related to in utero exposure to the virus." You're surely not saying that subtle developmental problems invariably result in an unacceptable quality of life.
Is this really a moderated board? The idea that ALL zeta affected fetuses should be terminated strikes me as coming from the same part of the human spirit that brought the world Auschwitz.NYT's readers never fail to astonish me.
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This looks to be a public health, education, and long-term care problem of unprecedented proportions. The life spans of these microcephalic children are unknowable, but as long as they live they will need very complex care. And there will very likely be many more neurological problems--autism, ADD, ADHD, and less severe brain anomalies with normal-sized heads--that show up as time goes by.
It would behoove us as a society to make it a priority to have every child born to a Zika-affected mother have an early postnatal brain MRI. This is going to be a very expensive (in terms of time and money) episode for the states and territories involved. It will likely require federal funds as well.
It would behoove us as a society to make it a priority to have every child born to a Zika-affected mother have an early postnatal brain MRI. This is going to be a very expensive (in terms of time and money) episode for the states and territories involved. It will likely require federal funds as well.
I most definitely agree with you on the idea of having to put in all this time and money into these poor babies who are affected by this. I think the best course of action would see if we could find a treatment for these children while they are still in utero or the postnatal MRI. If there is any possible chance that the likelihood of these babies having lasting affects or at least decrease the percentages of them having to struggle the rest of their lives could be detected by some sort of testing then it would bring the fear of women wanting to get pregnant down. The fear of even wanting to try and get pregnant would go down. The worst thing about all of it is getting, receiving and using the proper funds for the proper testing. The money that will need to be put into the research alone will be a great chunk. Just like Dr. Peter Jay Hotez said there are so many questions that still need to be answered about this disease. I'm just hoping and praying that we can find a cure for these Zika babies and their mothers.
"Earlier this month, the American Academy of Pediatrics announced a $350,000 grant from the Department of Health and Human Services to create a network of pediatricians prepared to deal with a generation of children with Zika-related health problems". Sounds like they are barely funding this project.
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The failure of Congress to act on appropriating funds for Zika prevention and further research is a disgrace. It's hard to believe that political infighting has taken priority over what is clearly an issue of the upmost importance for this country. Shameful. Where is the public outcry?
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It's incredible that Those People in Washington have seen fit to trash these babies and their parents for purposes of the worst kind of politics. A grudge should be kept against Those People for the rest of their natural lives, refusing all cooperation with them, public and private, and all aid to them, themselves and their families, until they are all gathered to their fathers.
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