The Colombian government is doing its best to prevent the spread of Zika virus and microcephaly. One of their strategies to combat the disease is to screen pregnant women.

Zika and Microcephaly

As the Zika virus spreads in Latin America, the rate of children born with microcephaly also increases, which makes health professionals think that there is a link between the two. The Brazilian authorities confirmed over 1 million cases of Zika. Meanwhile, about 4,000 microcephaly cases were reported, which could be associated with the virus.

Due to the alarming rate of children born with microcephaly, El Salvador officials advised their people to delay pregnancy if possible. Other Latin American countries are also encouraging couples in the region to do the same.

What is Microcephaly

Microcephaly is a birth defect where the baby is born with a smaller head circumference. Babies with this condition have smaller brains that may or may not have developed accordingly.

Microcephaly comes in different spectrums: severe microcephaly is the extreme case. Depending on the severity of the condition, the challenges include developmental delay, hearing and vision impairment, difficulty in balancing and movement and seizures to name a few.

Colombia Screens Pregnant Women

In Colombia, over 3,000 pregnant women were reportedly infected with Zika. However, the country did not report any case of microcephaly at the time. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos confirmed that Zika has affected over 25,000 citizens in the country and the rate may even rise to 600,000.

To help the country prepare for microcephaly, Colombia has made it a standard procedure to follow the pregnancy developments of expectant moms who are suspected of having the disease.

The procedure includes scanning the image of the fetus on the screen to check for any signs of microcephaly. However, measuring the head at one glance might not be enough to entirely determine the condition. Dr. Samuel Bautista, a specialist in delicate pregnancies, disclosed that he also checks if there are bright spots in the skull, which is the first sign of brain damage.

However, the screening during the early part of pregnancy is something that pregnant women shouldn't bank on for having a healthy baby because the signs of microcephaly or brain damage only show up during the second or third trimester.

Thus, expectant moms should return for another round of ultrasounds. If possible, pregnant women should have one every month until their baby is born to guarantee the child's health.

Microcephaly May Hit Colombia

Although there are no microcephaly cases in Colombia yet, many are still concerned that the condition will hit the country. If the link between Zika and microcephaly is confirmed, there are chances that the next wave of birth defects will be in Colombia.

"Suddenly we've found ourselves in the eye of the hurricane," Fernando Ruiz admitted.