Latest update November 21st, 2024 1:00 AM
CMO urges pregnant women to register early with clinics
While in the past pregnant women were encouraged to register with their neighbourhood clinic within three
Chief Medical Officer,
Dr. Shamdeo Persaud
months or at the latest within six months of becoming pregnant, the emergence of the Zika Virus has caused the Ministry of Public Health to issue a new advisory.
This is according to Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Shamdeo Persaud, who has disclosed that women are being encouraged to register at a clinic much earlier. And this could translate to as soon as a woman misses her first period.
Dr. Persaud pointed out that “there are very simple ways that can tell you that you are pregnant and you don’t need to see a belly or miss your period for many months then to decide you are pregnant, so we are asking women who think they are pregnant to please come forward.”
“With Zika as a major threat and the possibility of microcephaly (abnormal smallness of the head in newborn babies) occurring in pregnancy, where the women are exposed and can transmit the virus to their babies during the first part of their pregnancy, we are trying to encourage them to please check with the nurse in your community and be registered earlier,” said Dr. Persaud.
Once women are registered early, the CMO noted that health personnel could have the opportunity to even carefully check their medical history as well as that of their family.
“A lot of people don’t even know some of their family history,” said Dr. Persaud as he recalled “I myself started digging back a little when I was challenged with a couple of health conditions.”
He pointed out that “to find out what your grandparents or even your great grandparents suffered from could be very important to your health and very important to some of the decisions that you will make to ensure that you have a long and successful life.”
Just recently, Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton, said that “persons should take into consideration whether it is the best time to make (conceive) their children now.”
Since the spread of the Zika Virus was reported, a number of territories including Jamaica, El Salvador, Colombia and Ecuador had called on women to delay becoming pregnant.
This is not only because the virus has been linked to microcephaly, but because of the fact that it has been proven that the virus can be transmitted sexually.
It is believed that an infected pregnant woman can transmit the virus to her newborn baby who could be born with microcephaly. Several such cases have been reported in Brazil – Guyana’s neighbour to the south.
“When a baby is born with microcephaly and lives for another 70 years it can be a burden on society…so we have got to make some very conscientious decisions now when we talk about family planning. You have to think about whether you should get a baby now or not,” the Minister considered. “We can’t hide from it (Zika)…it is out there and it has even occurred in the United States, at least one case we have heard of (there),” he added.
The Public Health Ministry has thus far divulged information about nine confirmed cases of the Zika Virus here. The Ministry has not confirmed any pregnant woman among those who have been inflicted with the virus.
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