Microcephaly Before Zika

In 2006, Christine Grounds gave birth to her son Nicholas, who was diagnosed with microcephaly. The costs and difficulties of raising a child with the disease changed the course of their family's life.

The morning after Christine Grounds gave birth to her son Nicholas, she awoke to find a neurologist examining her baby. It was summer 2006, and Nicholas was her first child. There had been no indication that anything was wrong during her pregnancy, but it was soon clear that there was a problem. “Did you know he has microcephaly?” she remembers the doctor asking matter-of-factly. (Santora, 10/17)

Meanwhile, Zika money is going unspent in Florida —

Federal health officials are pushing back against Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s criticism about the slow flow of money to fight the Zika virus into his state. Florida has spent only about $3.5 million out of the $27 million that’s been given to the state by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this year, according to a federal health official. The state has also been given $8 million in Zika-specific funding that it has not used, according to the source. (Ferris, 10/14)

This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.

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