Science AMA Series: I’m Catherine Spong—OB/GYN, deputy director of an
NIH institute, researcher, and mom. Let’s talk about Zika virus and its
impact on child development. AMA!
Abstract
Hello reddit! I’m Cathy Spong, and I am deputy director of NIH’s Eunice
Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
(NICHD). At NICHD, we focus on the entire life process rather than a
specific disease or body system. We support research on physical and
intellectual developmental disabilities, rehabilitation, population
health, fertility, pregnancy, and childhood conditions. Last year, I
hosted an AMA on Zika and its effects on pregnancy. Today, I’d like to
discuss Zika’s effects on child development, and how we are at the tip
of the iceberg in terms of understanding how the virus affects
development. Microcephaly is only one of the many severe complications
of Zika exposure in the womb. Children born to Zika-infected mothers can
face many other health problems, and what has been reported to date
likely represents only the most severe cases. Because Zika is spread by
Aedes mosquitoes and through sexual contact, people should pay
attention, even if they do not live in a Zika-endemic area. To fully
understand the impact on children, including the subtle effects, we need
to conduct a full, long-term assessment of the exposed child, including
monitoring for physical symptoms, as well as for signs of intellectual
and developmental disabilities. Careful monitoring and evaluation of
behavior, developmental stages, and achievement of milestones will
improve our understanding of prenatal Zika exposure and help us identify
potential medical treatments and other interventions, such as physical
therapy. I’ve talked about Zika’s threat to child development in a
Huffington Post blog. I urge researchers, especially those who do not
study infectious diseases or pregnancy, to consider how their work can
help. Collaboration across medical specialties will be vital. I will be
answering questions starting at 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. PT). Ask Me Anything!
EDIT: Hi, everyone! That wraps our chat up for today. Thank you for your
questions – this was a great opportunity to discuss Zika virus and its
impact on child development. We will be closing this AMA thread, but if
you have follow-up questions, please send us a reddit message, Facebook
message, or tweet at us.