Título

Role of Socioeconomic, Health, and Environmental influence on congenital Zika syndrome

Objetivo

To analyze the role of socioeconomic, health and environmental influence on congenital Zika syndrome (CZS).

Método

Cross-sectional study Study cases included 105 parents and/or caregivers of infants with CZS confirmed by a positive anti-Zika IgM antibody and Study controls included 87 parents and/or caregivers of healthy infants submitted to a questionnaire survey. Main outcomes and measures The collected variables for all participants included age, sex, social background, mother’s health, pregnancy adverse events, household characteristics and life habits, mothers education, family income, and child's health.

Resultado

Study cases reported statistically significant more frequent symptoms related to arboviruses during pregnancy (fever, skin rash, pruritus, arthralgia and red eyes) in the first trimester than in the Study controls (p<0.005), Skin rash and pruritus were more reported in the Study cases than in the Study controls (p<0.005), in the 2nd trimester, 93.2% mothers of the Study cases denied having used repellents throughout their pregnancy (p < 0.001), 49.4% of the Study controls used insecticides, while only 27.0% of the Study cases used such protection mechanism against vectors (p=0.003). Seizures since birth was reported by 58.1%, hearing deficits was reported by 24.2% and visual problems 84.2% in Study cases, while in Study controls these findings were statistically significant less frequent, being respectively 1.2%, 3.6% and 4.8%, (p < 0.001). In Study cases, microcephaly was present in 87/99 infants

Conclusão

This study provides strong statistical support for the association between the presence of symptoms in the first and second trimester of pregnancy and CZS. Routine vector control activities, including use of mosquito repellents and insecticides during pregnancy in the Study controls played a role leading to lower risk of having children with CZS. There was an important incidence of neurological problems as well as visual and hearing deficits, in patients with CZS.