Now Offering Midwifery Care on the North Shore
The Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology is pleased to expand midwifery care for patients on the North Shore.
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Patient Education5 Minute ReadNov | 1 | 2016
Zika is a virus spread by a particular type of mosquito (the Aedes species). People who contract Zika often only experience mild flu-like symptoms, such as fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes), and four out of five people with Zika will never exhibit any symptoms.
However, Zika infection during pregnancy has been linked to severe birth defects. If you are pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant, it is important to be aware of the risks associated with the virus.
While the symptoms experienced by an expectant mother who contracts Zika may be mild, she can transmit the virus to the baby, which is cause for greater concern.
Recent research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that there is sufficient evidence to conclude that contracting Zika during pregnancy can cause serious birth defects, such as microcephaly and other brain defects, along with eye abnormalities leading to blindness.
Microcephaly is a birth defect that affects the growth of a baby’s skull and causes children born with this defect to have smaller skulls than is typically expected. This is problematic because it indicates that the baby’s brain has not grown as much as it should have. This lack of growth impacts brain development, and babies with microcephaly can have a number of problems, such as seizures, balance and movement problems, hearing loss, and vision problems.
The best way to protect yourself and your baby from Zika virus during pregnancy is to avoid exposure by staying away from areas where Zika transmission has been reported. While the species of mosquito that transmits Zika virus has been found as far north as New England, at present the areas of greatest concern are Central and South America and the Caribbean.
Check the CDC’s Zika Travel Notices to learn more about specific travel warnings and areas to avoid.
If you must travel to an area where Zika has been detected, take precautions to avoid infection:
If your partner has recently traveled to an area affected by Zika and has been infected, it is a good idea to use condoms for the rest of your pregnancy to ensure that the virus is not passed from your partner to you.
Get more tips from the CDC on how to protect yourself from Zika during pregnancy.
We provide state-of-the-art, individualized care for women and their families before, during and after childbirth.
We provide state-of-the-art, individualized care.
The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Mass General has advanced the science and the quality of care for women since 1891.
The Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology is pleased to expand midwifery care for patients on the North Shore.
Get data and expert opinions about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine while pregnant or breastfeeding.
Mai Uchida, MD, shares her “My Why”—outlining her decision to get the COVID vaccine during her pregnancy. Dr. Uchida hopes that she can be of help to anyone struggling with a similar decision by sharing her thought process, her emotions as a mother and her expertise as a physician.
Information on the COVID-19 vaccine for pregnant and breastfeeding people.
A group led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) provides new insights that could help improve care for these women and their newborns and emphasizes the need for pregnant women to be considered in vaccine rollout plans.
Un grupo dirigido por investigadores de Mass General proporciona nuevos conocimientos que podrían ayudar a mejorar la atención médica de las mujeres embarazadas y sus recién nacidos y hace énfasis en la necesidad de que estas mujeres sean consideradas en los planes de lanzamiento de vacunas.
The Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Mass General consistently ranks among the best women's health care providers in the country, offering innovative treatments from leading experts in obstetrics, gynecology, infertility, cancer, and urogynecology. Learn more about our department.