Pediatric expert says teams of physicians will need to follow the baby throughout her life. Watch video
On Tuesday, a baby girl was born at Hackensack University Medical Center with birth defects related to the Zika virus. At a press conference Wednesday, doctors said the baby was being closely monitored by a team of physicians and that it was too early to know her long-term prognosis.
Dr. Colin O'Reilly, chief of inpatient services at Children's Specialized Hospital in New Brunswick, said the baby, born with microcephaly, an abnormally small head, will require careful watching for the rest of her life. O'Reilly addressed some basic questions asked by NJ Advance Media.
What is likely in the baby's immediate future?
"They need to be followed by a specialized group of pediatricians. We would follow all of their milestones that a child would be making," he said.
That team might include neurodevelopmentalists, pediatric neurologists and pediatricians who specialize in caring for kids with chronic or complex lifelong diseases, O'Reilly said.
"Unfortunately, this is a lifelong disease and their development can be incredibly hindered by the initial prenatal insults that occurred."
Dr. Colin O'Reilly cares for a baby at Children's Specialized Hospital. (John O'Boyle | Children's Specialized Hospital) How long will Zika continue to affect the mother?
"Information is just coming out about how long the effects last. There's no current evidence that the mother will have issues with chronic infections from Zika."
Should the mother or baby be quarantined?
"Standard precautions are the current recommendation," he said, referring to typical practices to avoid transmission of a virus from someone known to be ill. "There's no need for a quarantine."
The baby has an abnormally underdeveloped skull and brain as a result of the infection. Have you treated children with this condition, called microcephaly?
"I care for it quite often... We have quite a number of children with both congenital and acquired microcephaly," O'Reilly said, noting that the Zika case is an acquired case.
Microcephaly can occur in developing fetuses through genetic mutations, viruses, parasites, exposure to drugs or toxic chemicals, he said.
What is the likely long-term prognosis for the baby?
"It's incredibly variable," he said, meaning there is a wide range of possibilities going forward.
"With appropriate support, they can live long lives... However, it is a possibility that they will require assistance with all of the activities of daily living for their lives."
Tim Darragh may be reached at tdarragh@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @timdarragh. Find NJ.com on Facebook.