Congenital Zika Syndrome Increases Children Mortality

The peer-reviewed New England Journal of Medicine published a recent study from Brazil that found certain children born with congenital Zika syndrome (CZS) had a significantly greater mortality risk.

In this study published on Feb. 24, 2022, about 11 million live-born children were followed to 36 months of age.

The mortality rate was 52.6 deaths (95% confidence interval [CI], 47.6 to 58.0) per 1000 person-years among live-born children with CZS.

Compared with 5.6 deaths (95% CI, 5.6 to 5.7) per 1000 person-years among those without the syndrome. 

The burden of congenital anomalies, diseases of the nervous system, and infectious diseases as recorded causes of deaths were higher among live-born children with CZS than among those without the syndrome.

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