Medical riddle 141 Children born with too small a head

Brazilian government issues national emergency due to accumulated microcephaly cases
In Brazil, as more and more children were born with the rare disease microcephaly, the Ministry of Health launched a national emergency on Wednesday. According to the news agency "dpa", 141 suspected cases were reported in the northeast of the country alone this year. In a microcephaly, the skull of the child is very small compared to the normal state, which leads to developmental disorders of the brain.
In northeastern Brazil, there are more cases of microcephaly
Due to the large increase in microcephaly cases in newborns, the Brazilian government has declared a health emergency. According to the "dpa" 141 newborns with a suspected rare disease were reported in northeastern Pernambuco this year alone. Likewise, the states Paraiba and Rio Grande do Norte have recorded an increase. So far, according to information from the Ministry of Health, an average of about ten cases have been registered nationwide each year.

In Brazil, the cases of too small heads are dramatically increasing. Meanwhile, the medical emergency was proclaimed. Image: Tobilander - fotolia

Rare malformation leads to impaired cognitive abilities
Microcephaly is a malformation characterized by a very small head and the resulting reduced brain volume. This leads to impaired cognitive abilities in those affected, whereby the degree of mental disability depends on the extent of the malformation and the concomitant malformations. The microcephaly occurs relatively rarely with about 1.6 to 1,000 births and may have different causes. These include, among other things, alcohol abuse, excessive radiation exposure or a rubella infection of the mother during pregnancy, as well as the disease may be hereditary.

Reasons for the increase not yet clarified
The triggers for the large increase in cases in the northeast of the country, however, according to the Ministry of Health is not yet clear. Now a medical team of specialists will be sent to the affected region, as well as the World Health Organization (WHO) has been informed, reports the "dpa". (No)