English: Mother embraces her child born with microcephaly.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

João was born with microcephaly – he has a smaller head and under-developed brain. This once-rare condition is becoming more common in Brazil because of Zika outbreaks. Many families struggle to cope with the needs of children with microcephaly, and more and more are abandoned – including João. He was later adopted by Marilene and given a loving home.

The wider story.

In October 2015, Brazil reported a link between Zika infections among pregnant women and cases of microcephaly in their newborn babies. The condition can cause long-term physical impairments, but researchers have recently found that certain treatments within the first six months of infancy, such as physiotherapy, can reduce these effects.