A new longitudinal study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison reveals that infants exposed to Zika virus during pregnancy may develop significant sensory and social deficits during their first year of life, even when they appear neurologically normal at birth. Researchers followed 184 exposed infants and found that 73% demonstrated measurable developmental delays by 12 months of age across multiple domains. The most common finding was vision tracking impairment, affecting 45% of the cohort, followed by hearing response deficits in 38% and social interaction differences in 31%. Lead researcher Dr. Sarah Martinez emphasized that these children could perceive sensory information but struggled with processing and response patterns. The findings underscore a critical gap in current CDC screening protocols, which may fail to detect subtle but functionally significant developmental delays. Healthcare providers are urged to implement enhanced monitoring protocols for infants with confirmed prenatal Zika exposure. Read the full article on GMJ Newsroom.
Was this article helpful?
