THE 16-year-old that has been afflicted with the Zika virus has already given birth to a healthy and normal baby boy, according to the Department of Health (DOH).
In an interview, Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial disclosed that the 16-year-old Las Piñas City resident already gave birth last December 20.
“We have one who delivered in Las Piñas... and the baby is healthy and normal,” said Ubial.
It was back in November when the teenage mother, who was then on her 32nd week of pregnancy, was diagnosed as being afflicted with the Zika virus.
Asked whether the period of her pregnancy was a factor in giving birth to a normal and healthy child, the Health chief said such a theory remains unproven by the World Health Organization (WHO).
“The theory is that because brain development is in the first and second trimester, if she gets infected with Zika, more or less the baby is safe... (but) that is still a hypothesis,” said Ubial.
Ubial, however, said they will continue to monitor the baby because of some findings that babies of Zika-infected mothers may have normally-sized heads at birth but their brains may subsequently stop growing.
Aside from the one who gave birth, the DOH has also recorded three other Zika-afflicted pregnant women in Cebu, Binan City, and Quezon City.
The one from Cebu was diagnosed during her 19th week of pregnancy in September, while the one from Biñan City was carrying her infant for five months when she acquired the disease in early December.
“The patients remain under close surveillance and monitoring,” said Ubial.
To note, Zika virus is being linked to neonatal malformation, specifically to microcephaly, wherein a baby’s head is smaller than normal.
Ubial said there are now a total of 52 confirmed Zika cases in the country, including 34 females.
Zika virus is a disease transmitted by the Aedes mosquitoes as well as through blood transfusion and sexual intercourse with an infected person. (HDT/Sunnex)