'We're sort of in a hard place': 234 pregnant women in U.S. diagnosed with Zika

'Microcephalic babies are beginning to be born.'

No one is immune - over 200 pregnant women in the United States have been diagnosed with the Zika virus.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - A new CDC report revealed 234 pregnant women in the United States have been diagnosed with the Zika virus.

Thus far, three babies in the U.S. have been born with birth defects and three others died in the womb, each with evidence of defects as well.

When a pregnant woman is infected with Zika, her unborn child is at risk of microcephaly, a horrific illness that causes brain damage and physical deformities.

The CDC has warned against engaging in sexual acts with people returning from Zika-infested areas as well as using mosquito repellent and clothing when visiting such areas.

There are no reported mosquito-borne cases of Zika within the United States and each person with the infection caught it while outside the country or from others who traveled.

According to the New York Times, Dr. Denise J. Jamieson, one of the leaders of the pregnancy and birth defects team, explained the difficulties in keeping up with the growing number of Zika diagnoses.

"We're sort of in a hard place," she stated. "We can't provide a lot of information about where these women are in their pregnancy.

"We don't want to inadvertently disclose information about difficult decisions these women are making about their pregnancies. Microcephalic babies are beginning to be born. The disease seems to be very similar no matter where it is.

"The pattern we are seeing in other places is the same as in U.S. travelers - that Zika is causing birth defects is real. It's not confined to one location or one time period."

Women who are not diagnosed with Zika until their third trimester have been found to be safe from giving birth to unhealthy babies but research on how the virus may affect future births remains inconclusive.

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