Dengue fever is a viral infection usually caused by the dengue virus (DENV). An infected mosquito bite usually transmits it. It is one of the most common infections, affecting almost 3 million people in America in 2023. Brazil also faced its largest outbreak since January 2024 as 3.5 million new cases were reported. Researchers from the University of Birmingham and the University of Surrey studied how dengue fever affects babies if their mothers get it during pregnancy.
The research published in the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics has revealed that pregnant women who get dengue fever can negatively affect their babies. This research was focused on data collected from pregnant women who had dengue fever in Brazil.
When researchers studied the collected data, they found that babies born to these women were abnormally small. Their chances of being small and extremely small at birth were increased by 67% and 133%, respectively.
One of the researchers, Dr. Menezes, says even a mild case of dengue fever during pregnancy can significantly affect the baby’s health. Babies whose mothers had dengue fever were also more likely to be hospitalized in their first three years. This risk of hospitalization was increased by 76% in the second year after their birth.
Researchers of this study suggest that healthcare professionals should warn pregnant women about dengue, just like they do for other infections such as Zika. Dengue should be at the top of the list of diseases being talked about.
This problem is for places where dengue fever is familiar and everywhere. Infected mosquitoes are moving to new places due to climate change. If the temperature goes up, dengue fever can spread in new places. So, healthcare professionals should make some effective strategies for pregnant women to reduce the risk of negative impacts on babies’ health. These findings will help pregnant women with dengue as healthcare professionals can give more attention while treating them.
Reference Link:
Martin Foureaux Koppensteiner et al, Maternal Dengue and Health Outcomes of Children, American Economic Journal: Applied Economics (2024).
