QA: Healthcare Providers Caring for Infants and Children with Possible Zika Virus Infection

Notice: On October 20, 2017, CDC released updated interim clinical guidance for healthcare providers caring for infants born to people with possible Zika virus infection during pregnancy.

Changes in guidance are summarized below:

• To assist healthcare providers with evaluation, diagnosis, and clinical management decisions, infants have been categorized into three main groups: 1) infants with birth defects consistent with congenital Zika syndrome born to people with possible Zika virus exposure during pregnancy; 2) infants without birth defects consistent with congenital Zika syndrome, but who were born to people with laboratory evidence of possible Zika virus infection during pregnancy; and 3) infants without birth defects consistent with congenital Zika syndrome born to people with possible congenital Zika virus exposure during pregnancy but without laboratory evidence of Zika virus infection.
• The new guidance provides updated information on how infant laboratory testing results should be interpreted.
• Recommendations for vision and hearing screening have been updated.
• Some of the previously recommended screenings (e.g., thyroid screening, complete blood count [CBC], liver function tests [LFTs], hearing screening at 4-6 months) are no longer recommended because data are lacking to show that these screenings might be needed.
• For infants with birth defects consistent with congenital Zika syndrome, healthcare providers should monitor for an expanded listed of potential problems. In addition, initial and follow-up care of these infants are no longer dependent on the infant’s Zika virus testing results.
• For infants without birth defects consistent with congenital Zika syndrome born to people with laboratory evidence of possible Zika virus infection during pregnancy, an ophthalmologist should perform an eye examination.
• For infants without birth defects consistent with congenital Zika syndrome born to people with exposure to Zika virus but no laboratory evidence of Zika virus infection during pregnancy, further testing for Zika virus and clinical evaluation are not recommended.

Quelle: CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention)