CONCEPT – MICROCEPHALY

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CONCEPT – MICROCEPHALY

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• Microcephaly is a condition where a baby is born with a small head or the head stops growing after birth
• Microcephaly is a rare condition. One baby in several thousand is born with microcephaly
• Babies born with microcephaly may develop convulsions and suffer physical and learning disabilities as they grow older
• There are no specific tests to determine if a baby will be born with microcephaly, but ultrasound scans in the third trimester of pregnancy can sometimes identify the problem
• There is no specific treatment for microcephaly

• What is it? Microcephaly is a medical condition in which the brain does not develop adequately resulting in a smaller than normal head. Affected newborns have striking neurological defects and seizures. Impaired intellectual development is also common.
• Etymology : "Microcephaly" means "smallheadedness" (Ancient Greek mikrós meaning "small" and kephalé meaning "headed").
• Since when? It may be present at birth or it may develop in the first few years of life. Such people may have an intellectual disability, poor motor function, poor speech, abnormal facial features, seizures, and dwarfism.
• Why and how?

1. After the dropping of atomic bombs "Little Boy" on Hiroshima and "Fat Man" on Nagasaki, several women close to ground zero who had been pregnant at the time gave birth to children with microcephaly. The disorder may stem from a wide variety of conditions that cause abnormal growth of the brain, or from syndromes associated with chromosomal abnormalities. A homozygous mutation in one of the microcephalin genes causes primary microcephaly.
2. There are many potential causes of microcephaly, but often the cause remains unknown. The most common causes include:
1. infections during pregnancy: toxoplasmosis (caused by a parasite found in undercooked meat), Campylobacter pylori, rubella, herpes, syphilis, cytomegalovirus, HIV and Zika;
2. exposure to toxic chemicals: maternal exposure to heavy metals like arsenic and mercury, alcohol, radiation, and smoking;
3. pre- and perinatal injuries to the developing brain (hypoxia-ischemia, trauma);
4. genetic abnormalities such as Down syndrome; and
5. severe malnutrition during foetal life.

• Treatment: There is no specific treatment that returns the head size to normal. In general, life expectancy for individuals with microcephaly is reduced and the prognosis for normal brain function is poor. Some will grow normally and develop normal intelligence but that is rare.
• WHO response: The Strategic Response Framework and Joint Operations Plan outlines steps that WHO is taking with partners to respond to Zika and potential complications.

1. Working closely with affected countries on the Zika outbreak investigation and response and on the unusual increase in microcephaly cases.
2. Engaging communities to communicate the risks associated with Zika virus disease and how they can protect themselves.
3. Describing the full spectrum of congenital Zika virus syndrome, which may evolve, as part of the WHO Zika virus research agenda.

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