Screening for infectious diseases.
- Gerber S Department Gynecology and Obstetrics, CHUV, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland. Stefan.Gerber@chuv.hospvd.ch
- Hohlfeld P
- 2003-06-18
Published in:
- Child's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery. - 2003
Brain Injuries
Chickenpox
Cytomegalovirus
Female
Fetal Diseases
Herpesvirus 1, Cercopithecine
Humans
Mass Screening
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Complications, Infectious
Rubella
Time Factors
Toxoplasmosis, Congenital
Ultrasonography, Prenatal
English
INTRODUCTION
Fetal brain injury is an essential cause of lifelong morbidity. Infection appears as a cause of brain damage. Apart from chorioamnionitis, screening for infectious diseases must be considered in pregnancies with a risk of congenital infection or cases with abnormal cerebral ultrasound findings.
DISCUSSION
Congenital infections include most of the major components of the TORCH complex: toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes, and varicella. Seronegative mothers can develop primary infection, which carries a risk of vertical transmission. The timing of the infection is a critical point, because fetal damage often depends on the gestational age at which acute maternal infection took place and occurs more likely in the first half of pregnancy. Antenatal ultrasound can detect brain abnormalities, like hydrocephalus, periventricular leukomalacia, calcifications or hemorrhage. Maternal serologic tests must be performed to look for an infectious etiology; the most frequent agents are the components of the TORCH complex. But additional serology must include parvovirus B19, HIV, and coxsackieviruses.
Fetal brain injury is an essential cause of lifelong morbidity. Infection appears as a cause of brain damage. Apart from chorioamnionitis, screening for infectious diseases must be considered in pregnancies with a risk of congenital infection or cases with abnormal cerebral ultrasound findings.
DISCUSSION
Congenital infections include most of the major components of the TORCH complex: toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes, and varicella. Seronegative mothers can develop primary infection, which carries a risk of vertical transmission. The timing of the infection is a critical point, because fetal damage often depends on the gestational age at which acute maternal infection took place and occurs more likely in the first half of pregnancy. Antenatal ultrasound can detect brain abnormalities, like hydrocephalus, periventricular leukomalacia, calcifications or hemorrhage. Maternal serologic tests must be performed to look for an infectious etiology; the most frequent agents are the components of the TORCH complex. But additional serology must include parvovirus B19, HIV, and coxsackieviruses.
- Language
-
- English
- Open access status
- green
- Identifiers
-
- DOI 10.1007/s00381-003-0766-5
- PMID 12811485
- Persistent URL
- https://sonar.ch/global/documents/189501
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