For a brief moment, the mothers put aside their search for hard-to-find drugs needed to prevent their babies from having seizures, or the uncomfortable stares directed at their children, who were born with small heads because of a Zika virus infection in the womb.
Against a black cloth and looking at an instant camera, the women drew their little ones close to their cheeks and smiled. They were just like any other moms getting the first formal photographs of their babies.
Along with financial and health worries, these families also face the social stigma of raising a disabled child, which they say is even more pronounced in the poverty-stricken northeastern region of Brazil where they live.
In this Sept. 29, 2016 photo made from a negative recovered from instant film, Diana Felix and Carlos Alberto Dias, pose with their son, Ezequiel, who was born with microcephaly, one of many serious medical problems that can be caused by congenital Zika syndrome, in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil. Dias stopped working to help Felix care for their four children. Sometimes he accompanies her to Ezequiel's therapy sessions and medical appointments, which can be as often as five times a week.
In this Sept. 27, 2016 photo made from a negative recovered from instant film, Elisson Campos poses with his 1-year-old brother, Jose Wesley Campos, who was born with microcephaly, one of many serious medical problems that can be caused by congenital Zika syndrome, in Bonito, Pernambuco state, Brazil. Elisson is very close to his baby brother and loves to hold him in his arms.
In this Sept. 26, 2016 photo made from a negative recovered from instant film, Angelica Pereira kisses her daughter Luiza, who was born with microcephaly, one of many serious medical problems that can be caused by congenital Zika syndrome, during a portrait session in Santa Cruz do Capibaribe, Pernambuco state, Brazil. "We are always chasing something. We have to drop everything else, all our chores, our homes," said the 21-year-old. "There are so many of us with children with special needs. (The government) is forgetting about that."
In this Sept. 29, 2016 photo made from a negative recovered from instant film, Rosana Alves holds her daughter Luana, who was born with microcephaly, one of many serious medical problems that can be caused by congenital Zika syndrome, as they pose for a photo in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil. Alves has three daughters and has left work to take care of Luana, who is equipped with specially designed leg braces to help position her feet.
In this Sept. 29, 2016 photo made from a negative recovered from instant film, Vanessa dos Santos poses with her son, Enzo, who was born with microcephaly, one of many serious medical problems that can be caused by congenital Zika syndrome, in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil. Santos is one of the few mothers who lives within walking distance of a rehabilitation center. Enzo is eating well and gaining weight, but he has to take medication twice a day to control convulsions and still has difficulties with movements, especially in his hands.
In this Sept. 29, 2016 photo made from a negative recovered from instant film, Jusikelly da Silva poses for a photo with her daughter Luhandra, who was born with microcephaly, one of many serious medical problems that can be caused by congenital Zika syndrome, in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil. Silva says she is desperate to get a brain scan for Luhandra, who was sitting up and eating solid foods before a seizure several months ago left her virtually motionless.
In this Sept. 27, 2016 photo made from a negative recovered from instant film, Solange Ferreira holds her 1-year-old son Jose Wesley Campos, who was born with microcephaly, one of many serious medical problems that can be caused by congenital Zika syndrome, as they pose for a photo in Bonito, Pernambuco state, Brazil. The boy came to be known as the "bucket baby" because of a Dec. 23, 2015 photograph of him in a bucket filled with water to help him calm down. The image became emblematic of Brazil's Zika epidemic amid a surge of babies being born with unusually small heads in the country's northeast.
In this Sept. 29, 2016 photo made from a negative recovered from instant film, Daniele Ferreira dos Santos holds her son Juan Pedro, who was born with microcephaly, one of many serious medical problems that can be caused by congenital Zika syndrome, as they pose for a photo in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil. Santos is helped by her mother and older daughter, who often take turns caring for Juan Pedro. His father left the house a few weeks after he was born.
In this Sept. 29, 2016 photo made from a negative recovered from instant film, Rozilene Ferreira poses with her 1-year-old son, Arthur Conceicao, who was born with microcephaly, one of many serious medical problems that can be caused by congenital Zika syndrome, in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil. A year after a spike in the number of newborns with the defect known as microcephaly, Brazilian doctors and researchers have seen many of the babies develop swallowing difficulties, epileptic seizures and vision and hearing problems.