Gestational and fetal outcomes in B19 maternal infection: a problem of diagnosis.

Parvovirus B19 infection during pregnancy is a potential hazard to the fetus because of the virus' ability to infect fetal erythroid precursor cells and fetal tissues. Fetal complications range from transitory fetal anemia and nonimmune fetal hydrops to miscarriage and intrauterine fetal death. In the present study, 72 pregnancies complicated by parvovirus B19 infection were followed up: fetal and neonatal specimens were investigated by serological and/or virological assays to detect fetal/congenital infection, and fetuses and neonates were clinically evaluated to monitor pregnancy outcomes following maternal infection. Analysis of serological and virological maternal B19 markers of infection demonstrated that neither B19 IgM nor B19 DNA detected all maternal infections. IgM serology correctly diagnosed 94.1% of the B19 infections, while DNA testing correctly diagnosed 96.3%. The maximum sensitivity was achieved with the combined detection of both parameters. B19 vertical transmission was observed in 39% of the pregnancies, with an overall 10.2% rate of fetal deaths. The highest rates of congenital infections and B19-related fatal outcomes were observed when maternal infections occurred by the gestational week 20. B19 fetal hydrops occurred in 11.9% of the fetuses, and 28.6% resolved the hydrops with a normal neurodevelopment outcome at 1- to 5-year follow-up. In conclusion, maternal screening based on the concurrent analysis of B19 IgM and DNA should be encouraged to reliably diagnose maternal B19 infection and correctly manage pregnancies at risk.

Umbilical cord insertion into the lower segment of the uterus at 11 to 13 weeks' gestation is associated with maternal serum PAPP-A.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether the location of the placental cord insertion (CI) at 11 to 13 weeks' gestation affects the maternal serum pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A). METHODS: Cohort study was conducted in patients who underwent the first trimester screening including nuchal translucency and blood test. We additionally documented the CI site. The thickness of the placenta under the CI and the minimum distance on the uterine wall between the internal cervical os and the CI (Dis) were measured. The subjects were divided into two groups. Below the tenth percentile in multiples of median (MoM) of Dis were defined as cases in which CI was located on the lower uterine segment (low CI) and the others were defined as controls. RESULTS: A total of 117 subjects were analyzed. The thickness of the placenta (r = 0.237, p = 0.010) and Dis (r = 0.243, p = 0.008) was correlated with the crown-rump length (CRL). The maternal serum PAPP-A MoM in the low CI group was lower than in controls (0.76 ± 0.34 vs 1.16 ± 0.55; p = 0.009), whereas the other ultrasonographic measurements and maternal demographics were not different between the two groups. CONCLUSION: CI on the lower segment of the uterus is associated with low maternal serum PAPP-A MoM levels.

Ultrasound prediction of symptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus infection.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to assess the effectiveness of ultrasound in the antenatal prediction of symptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. STUDY DESIGN: The sonograms of 650 fetuses from mothers with primary CMV infection were correlated to fetal or neonatal outcome. Infection status was disclosed by viral urine isolation at birth or CMV tissue inclusions at autopsy. Classification of symptomatic disease was based on postnatal clinical or laboratory findings or macroscopic evidence of tissue damage at autopsy. RESULTS: Ultrasound abnormalities were found in 51 of 600 mothers with primary infection (8.5%) and 23 of 154 congenitally infected fetuses (14.9%). Symptomatic congenital infection resulted in 1 of 23 and 68 of 131 cases with or without abnormal sonographic findings, respectively. Positive predictive values of ultrasound vs symptomatic congenital infection was 35.3% relating to all fetuses or infants from mothers with primary infection and 78.3% relating to fetuses or infants with congenital infection. CONCLUSION: When fetal infection status is unknown, ultrasound abnormalities predict symptomatic congenital infection in only a third of cases.