Babymoons and the Zika Virus

canuckmomma

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2016/s0315-zika-virus-travel.html

Anyone else book a babymoon south and now reconsidering?

We just booked it on Wednesday and heard about this on Thursday. Leaving for Playa deal Carmen Jan 31. I'm a little panicking since we did not get cancellation insurance (it was booked so last min didn't think it was worth it!) and well loose all the money plus our only chance of a babymoon. My husband still is game going and says well stay on resort, not go into jungle areas, wear long clothes at night and lots of bug spray. Apparently this zika mosquito only bites during the day and reports I got from Playa area was mosquitos were not an issue in the day time. I'm going to discuss w my doc next week and decide. For now I'm just a bit worried and should stop reading the news for my own sanity!!

canuckmomma

Yes thanks for the reply Igem4. I am not usually one to live in fear but this is a real threat and I will be taking it seriously. Going to figure it out soon. Will try to call the travel company and see if they have compassion on the issue.

Kristin712

Look into your credit card benefits. It's possible they offer automatic insurance if you purchased the entire trip on the card.

Jenniferk08

Personally I would change. When we booked our honeymoon the swine flu started a couple weeks before our wedding. We canceled and went elsewhere.
You might lose on some money but it's worth that over the risk. Will you really be relaxed?

Sekerambo

We are also leaving for Mexico at the end of the month for the wedding of our closest friends. I will definitely be speaking with my doctor and will be taking every precaution. I don't know what I would do if it were just a vacation. Luckily the resorts spray and I won't be leaving the resort. It is definitely a hard decision.

WinterPumpkin

I wouldn't go. I am in the medical field and have been following this for a while now. I expect this issue to become a big, horrific deal soon...

In Brazil, a rise from 150 cases of microcephaly per year to 3500 cases since October is huge, it's unthinkable. Today a similar case has been identified in Hawaii...

Not to be an alarmist here but with these statistics, you couldn't pay me to go anywhere near - and I've lived in Iraq while pregnant with my second so I wouldn't call myself risk averse

texasmama2014

I got back from Mexico a week ago, and I'm wracking my brain to think if I got any mosquito bites!!!

WinterPumpkin

I guess I wouldn't be this conservative had I not been infected with Chikungunya virus (very similar to Zika), in Barbados, at a five-star resort which, as PP stated, "sprays", two months before I got pregnant with this current baby .

It can happen ladies...

ETA: @texasmama2014 I'm pooping in my pants even though I know this was a little before I got pregnant... I don't think Mexico has declared any cases as of yet but I can understand your concern.

KJ1416

Just to clarify, the baby's mother with Zika in Hawaii had lived in Brazil.

The article does talk about some other viruses being spread in Hawaii.

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/01/17/health/hawaii-reports-baby-born-with-brain-damage-linked-to-zika-virus.html?_r=0&referer=https://www.google.com/

WinterPumpkin

@KJ1416 I did see that - so no cases of Zika-associated microcephaly found outside of Brazil as of yet...

Prinny1

I personally would not go. It's not worth the risk. If i ended up infected i would never forgive myself. Also I wouldnt be able to enjoy my vacation!
Good luck with whatever you decide

Kristin712

Our babymoon is booked for Anguilla in March. We plan to watch it and see what happens in the coming months. Our credit card offers reimbursement so we will take advantage of that benefit. We will cancel if the virus spreads to the BVI.

blond1230

We were going with our family to the Caribbean in March and backed out because of this. I don't normally live in fear like this but we've had two losses and are being super precautious every way we can. There will be more vacations to come, I'd rather miss this one than live fearful and worried the rest of the pregnancy.

sdavis2189

We had booked a trip to the Dominican Republic in March, but we just canceled it because of the Zika virus. We lost some of the money, but it's totally worth it to me. I wouldn't risk birth defects for a fun trip. It's definitely a bummer, though. Even though there aren't any confirmed cases in the Dominican Republic yet, since it's on the same island as Haiti, I figure it's only a matter of time. I'm just hoping the virus doesn't spread to the US.

lalalorelai

I wouldn't go. The CDC doesn't issue travel warnings lightly, I'd take them very seriously.

See what your doctor says, but even resorts that spray can still get mosquitoes. I wouldn't risk it.

Stephanie7693

I was just going to start a thread about this remembering a lot of you ladies planned on traveling. I would definitely not go. I believe the cdc is warning against traveling to not only brazil, but Colombia, mexico, Caribbean...pretty much all of South America is at risk and other tropical areas. No matter how many precautions you take, that in no way guarantees your safety. Mosquitos are everywhere, no matter how nice the resort is.

katie121209

We are going on a cruise in 3 weeks and it goes to Mexico, Belize, and Honduras. Sadly our OB had not yet heard of this virus. She told me to be smart- long pants, shirts, and bug spray on our excursions. I haven't made up my mind as to whether to change the excursions.

tresamigos

@kjaneen I don't know if the time of the year matters, but my husband and I took a trip to Playa in September 2013 and we stayed at a very nice resort that sprayed for mosquitos, but it didn't matter... we both still came back with plenty of bites. There were definitely more
mosquitos out at night time, but they were around during the day too.

ThisisNumber3

I'm pretty sure mosquitos bite at all times of day!

tmk0325

Ugh I just heard about this as well. We have a trip booked to the Dominican Feb 18. We booked it back in October well before we knew we would be pregnant. The Domincan is not on the list, so I'm debating if we should go or not... We have a doctor about Feb 2, so I plan on talking to my doctor then. We did take out the insurance so at least we can get out money back.

GRJC

We just got back from Playa Del Carmen a couple of days ago.  We were there for a week. I never noticed any mosquitoes.  We had a great time and would suggest it to anyone.  I wouldn't worry about it too much. 

juleswalsh

Any word on if there are certain times during your pregnancy where it wouldn't affect the baby? Just curious . I would think after the first trimester there wouldn't be a lot of change from outside sources. I'm trying to wrap my brain around this! So scary! I haven't booked our trip yet.

mumblefrog86

GRJC said:

We just got back from Playa Del Carmen a couple of days ago.  We were there for a week. I never noticed any mosquitoes.  We had a great time and would suggest it to anyone.  I wouldn't worry about it too much. 

I would worry they don't put travel advisories out for nothing. This is serious to pregnant women. The women will have minor symptoms but it could cause serious and life threatening complications to the unborn baby. This is absolutely something to worry about.

Stephanie7693

@juleswalsh... at first they were saying it was dangerous in the third trimester, now they are saying at any time during pregnancy.

stillcozy

*lurking*
Mosquitos can bite any skin such as face neck hands... And I highly doubt if you are in tropical you are wearing long pants and long sleeves. This is very real and scary threat and being at a resort does not mean there won't be mosquitos.

I personally think my babies safety and health are worth more than my selfish desire for a vacation in the Caribbean but I guess not all feel that way.

Also look up microcephaly if you haven't to see what you are risking for your child.

lalalorelai

Stephanie7693 said:

@juleswalsh... at first they were saying it was dangerous in the third trimester, now they are saying at any time during pregnancy.

It's actually the first trimester  - https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/01/16/health/what-is-zika-virus.html?_r=0

But it's just a hypothesis right now, so the travel warning extends to all pregnant woman. Along with those TTC. A warm beach vacation just isn't worth it. 

ZedPM3

Our vacation is going to be the opposite way (Canada), but even if we did book a vacation down there I'd cancel in a heartbeat. Possibly risking the health of my baby on something I can avoid is something I couldn't live with.

Whitmore1027

@katie121209 I am going on a cruise to the same islands Feb. 13th out of Galveston, are you on that one? If so...what a small world!!

I haven't heard about this AT ALL. My doctor doesn't know either. I don't know if I should be worried or not? We are on a 7 day cruise to Belize, Cozumel, and Honduras.

lalalorelai

@Whitmore1027 this website https://www.cdc.gov/zika/geo/ has a list of the countries where Zika has been found. Mexico and Honduras are both on there. You can also read more about the dangers and the travel warning on that site, and make a decision that works for you. 

meanttobe35

I am sneaking in from the July 2016 Moms, EDD of 7/30. I was in Mexico for my Honeymoon right after/when I conceived 11/9-11/17. I was in the Riviera Maya/ Playa del Carmen area and I definitely got a handful of mosquito bites, I read about the CDC warning this weekend, it looks like the few infected mosquitoes/cases they found were towards the southern border of Mexico, but it doesn't matter because now I am panicking, one more thing for me to worry about for the next 6 months!!

Whitmore1027

@lalalorelai Thanks a lot! It is good information! This is what I found:

"Rarely, from mother to child

• A mother already infected with Zika virus near the time of delivery can pass on the virus to her newborn around the time of birth, but this is rare.
• It is possible that Zika virus could be passed from mother to fetus during pregnancy. This mode of transmission is being investigated.
• To date, there are no reports of infants getting Zika virus through breastfeeding. Because of the benefits of breastfeeding, mothers are encouraged to breastfeed even in areas where Zika virus is found."

My biggest thing is this is a family cruise with 13 people including my very elderly grandmother in law (apparently her "last" vacation because she thinks she may pass this year...) We booked it back in September, and hubby and I put $1000 into this, and we wouldn't get any refund. I would HATE to miss this family cruise, so I think I'll have to just be very weary and maybe just hide out in the ship when we are at the ports.

lalalorelai

@Whitmore1027 it's also possible in the next few weeks that we'll know more information and whether it's safe or not to travel. 

The big worry about Zika virus in pregnant woman is that it appears it causes microcephaly in the fetus. Brazil went from something like 150 cases of microcephaly to over 3,500 cases after their Zika outbreak. It's very, very scary. They don't know exactly how Zika causes microcephaly, but they're pretty sure it does. 

tmk0325

@Whitmore1027 personally I'd probably feel more comfortable on a cruise because there are more sheltered areas that you can go too and you'll probably be more covered up. As opposed to our all inclusive beach vacation to the DR that I will be living in a swimsuit the majority of the trip... Like you said, you wouldn't have to get off the ship if you didn't want too... I'm hoping there might be some more information out in the next few weeks to help me make my decision.

katie121209

@Whitmore1027 we are leaving out of Tampa but it sounds like the same itinerary. I'm not worried about being on the ship, I think we just need to be cautious about excursions and use bug spray each time you get out the ship. As of Friday my doctor hadn't heard about it either.

1faceinacrowd

If you DO decide to go, I guess here's some peace of mind?
-At this point, there is no absolute proof that Zika causes microcephaly - they have not identified causation, only correlation, and this is the first time since its discovery in 1947 that any link between Zika and birth defects has been suggested. Zika does not cause any neurological symptoms, and is almost never fatal, so doctors are struggling to figure out why it would cause neurological issues in fetuses. 
-The number of babies born every year in Brazil is around 3 million. While the number of cases of microcephaly has increased, the chance of having a baby with microcephaly, for women who LIVE in Brazil, is around 0.1% after the increase - much less than the chance of having a spontaneous miscarriage at any point in pregnancy.
-While it's difficult to assess exactly how many people are infected with Zika because most cases go undetected, it's estimated that this outbreak has infected around 1.5 million people in Brazil. To put that into perspective, they have around 200 million inhabitants, so the infection rate is less than 1 percent (around .7%) and again, that's people who LIVE there.

I'm not saying you should absolutely go, because I'm not entirely sure what I would do, but it's important to look at the overall picture. The increase from 150 to 3500 cases could very well be statistically significant, but your chances of being infected and subsequently suffering adverse affects are still slim. 

Best of luck, mamas. Whatever you decide to do, I hope you stay safe and healthy!

ElizabethM30

1faceinacrowd said:

If you DO decide to go, I guess here's some peace of mind?
-At this point, there is no absolute proof that Zika causes microcephaly - they have not identified causation, only correlation, and this is the first time since its discovery in 1947 that any link between Zika and birth defects has been suggested. Zika does not cause any neurological symptoms, and is almost never fatal, so doctors are struggling to figure out why it would cause neurological issues in fetuses. 
-The number of babies born every year in Brazil is around 3 million. While the number of cases of microcephaly has increased, the chance of having a baby with microcephaly, for women who LIVE in Brazil, is around 0.1% after the increase - much less than the chance of having a spontaneous miscarriage at any point in pregnancy.
-While it's difficult to assess exactly how many people are infected with Zika because most cases go undetected, it's estimated that this outbreak has infected around 1.5 million people in Brazil. To put that into perspective, they have around 200 million inhabitants, so the infection rate is less than 1 percent (around .7%) and again, that's people who LIVE there.

I'm not saying you should absolutely go, because I'm not entirely sure what I would do, but it's important to look at the overall picture. The increase from 150 to 3500 cases could very well be statistically significant, but your chances of being infected and subsequently suffering adverse affects are still slim. 

Best of luck, mamas. Whatever you decide to do, I hope you stay safe and healthy!

I think you have made some coherent points on risk but one small change. My understanding is that the 3,500 new cases was only from October - end of December (not the whole year)

1faceinacrowd

@ElizabethM30 I think you're right. Interestingly enough, the virus was first discovered in Brazil back in March (7 months before the spike). In doing some further research though (mostly to figure out when the outbreak began and try to find the total 2015 number), I read that the 3500 cases have not actually been confirmed - they're still being looked into - and that the spike in number is technically a spike in "reported possible cases" which frequently happens during any health crisis.
Again, it's completely possible that all of these cases truly are microcephaly, and that the spike is due to Nika, but nothing is confirmed at this point.

ETA: There was a time when polio was thought to be caused by ice cream, because ice cream sales and polio spiked at the same time, and at the same rate, during the summer. This COULD end up being the same thing, but there's no way to know at this point.

(Sorry for the long posts - I'm fascinated by this stuff)

lucypod

From what I've seen/read it looks like there is a specific list of countries to be concerned about.  I would definitely be concerned about the Dominican Republic due to the fact that it's on the same island as Haiti, but is there a reason to be concerned about other islands just because of the proximity to countries on the list?  For example, DH and I are talking about baby-mooning in March or April and are considering the Caribbean (Jamaica, Aruba, or the Bahamas).. should I be concerned?

tmk0325

@lucypod  From what I have read it sounds like there will be more countries added to the list as it develops further. I have a trip booked to the DR (one month from today) and I am really concerned, because like you said it shares the island with Haiti.  I would probably be a bit concerned with any of the Caribbean islands just due to the proximity to the others. I'm already trying to debate if I want to switch and go somewhere else... My warm thoughts have now moved onto Hawaii or somewhere in Florida...  I'm just hoping they will put out some more information within the next few weeks before I have to decide.  

Snaps816

I read a startling headline today that there has been a confirmed case in Hawaii (that part is true) -- however the mother had been living in Brazil early in her pregnancy and is believed to have been infected there. Neither mother nor baby is infectious so there is no need to panic about travel to Hawaii! 

LadyMillil

1faceinacrowd said:

If you DO decide to go, I guess here's some peace of mind?
-At this point, there is no absolute proof that Zika causes microcephaly - they have not identified causation, only correlation, and this is the first time since its discovery in 1947 that any link between Zika and birth defects has been suggested. Zika does not cause any neurological symptoms, and is almost never fatal, so doctors are struggling to figure out why it would cause neurological issues in fetuses. 
-The number of babies born every year in Brazil is around 3 million. While the number of cases of microcephaly has increased, the chance of having a baby with microcephaly, for women who LIVE in Brazil, is around 0.1% after the increase - much less than the chance of having a spontaneous miscarriage at any point in pregnancy.
-While it's difficult to assess exactly how many people are infected with Zika because most cases go undetected, it's estimated that this outbreak has infected around 1.5 million people in Brazil. To put that into perspective, they have around 200 million inhabitants, so the infection rate is less than 1 percent (around .7%) and again, that's people who LIVE there.

I'm not saying you should absolutely go, because I'm not entirely sure what I would do, but it's important to look at the overall picture. The increase from 150 to 3500 cases could very well be statistically significant, but your chances of being infected and subsequently suffering adverse affects are still slim. 

Best of luck, mamas. Whatever you decide to do, I hope you stay safe and healthy!

*Lurking*

It may not be statistically significant, but an increase from 150 to 3500 cases in such a short time is biologically significant and indicates that something is going to to cause this change. While stats can be great, it is important to understand the biological significance and look beyond the statistics.