Relationship between microcephaly and Zika virus during pregnancy: a review

Rev Assoc Med Bras (1992). 2018 Jul;64(7):635-642. doi: 10.1590/1806-9282.64.07.635.

Abstract

Aim: the present study analysed the association between Zika-virus and microcephaly during the gestational period of women in Brazil.

Methodology: Systematic reviews of intervention research, current publications of clinical investigations were used systematic search strategies in three electronic databases PubMed, SciELO and Google academic. The following keywords were used: Microcephaly, gestation, Zika-virus to perform the search, and 1020 articles were obtained after exclusion, 45 were left and 35 were eligible. The collection period was from 2004 to 2017.

Results: Epidemiological data suggest a temporal association between the quantitative increase and the Zika-virus epidemic, especially in Northeast Brazil. It is not consensual to measure the cephalic perimeter curve to be considered.

Conclusion: Given this, the application of techniques to accurately diagnose the relationship between causes and effects in the pathogenesis of Zika virus infection in the central nervous system should be prioritized.

Publication types

  • Systematic Review

MeSH terms

  • Brazil / epidemiology
  • Disease Outbreaks
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Microcephaly / diagnosis
  • Microcephaly / epidemiology*
  • Microcephaly / virology*
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / diagnosis
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / epidemiology*
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / virology*
  • Zika Virus / isolation & purification
  • Zika Virus Infection / complications*
  • Zika Virus Infection / diagnosis
  • Zika Virus Infection / epidemiology*