By Brenda WinterTwelve-pound Sarah Catherine doesn’t look like a participant in a nation-wide disease research project. At six weeks old, her chubby cheeks and pink jumpsuit don’t even hint at the drama that surrounded her gestation. Sarah’s mom, Hills Crescent editor Jolene Farley, contracted the West Nile virus during the second trimester of her pregnancy. She was the only pregnant woman to contract the disease in the state last year. Farley spent a few tense weeks hoping her baby would be healthy, but upon arrival Sarah Catherine was declared OK – mostly.She has a slightly cleft palate and two uvulae (that thing that hangs down in the back of the throat.) The birth defect is so minor that unless it becomes a problem later in Sarah’s life the current plan is to do nothing about it. Surgery is sometimes performed on babies with cleft palates if the problem interferes with the baby’s ability to eat, but Sarah is growing and eating well.The big question is, of course, "does West Nile cause birth defects?"Farley said the researchers following Sarah’s case believe the cleft palate was not caused by West Nile, because there is no evidence of West Nile antibodies in Sarah’s blood.They also theorize that babies exposed to West Nile later in the gestation period are better able to fend off the virus – although it seems Sarah was never exposed to the virus. Farley said, "It appears that my anti-bodies passed through the placenta but the virus didn’t."Farley said along with preliminary blood samples, doctors working with the Centers for Disease Control have asked that Sarah see a pediatric eye doctor because another baby exposed to West Nile was born with an eye disorder. They would also like a CAT scan to see if there are problems that are less obvious. And finally, genetic tests may be performed to help determine if the cleft palate is a genetically-based birth defect.Farley said Sarah will be evaluated at three, six and 12 months. "We’ll continue to be involved." Farley said. "Regardless of the relationship between West Nile and the cleft palate they want to continue to evaluate all the babies born under West Nile."Cutline:Six-week old Sarah Catherine Wieneke, pictured with her mom Jolene Farley, was born with slight birth defects that do not appear to be related to her exposure to the West Nile virus in utero. Sarah will continue to be a part of on-going research with the Centers for Disease Control.
