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Fetal Infections: Cytomegalovirus, Herpes Simplex, and Varicella

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Neonatology

Abstract

This chapter reviews three herpesviruses that cause infections of the fetus and/or newborn: cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpesvirus (HSV) 1 and 2, and varicella-zoster virus (VZV). CMV and VZV can cause severe fetal disease following a primary maternal infection and subsequent placentitis by viremia. Persistent infection with CMV can cause progressive disease with significant developmental abnormalities which become apparent over the first years of life. Preconceptional immunity generally protects the fetus either from infection or from the severe disease both in utero and after birth for a few months, although symptomatic congenital CMV infection may rarely occur after recurrent maternal infection. The second important factor, which affects both the frequency of transplacental transmission and the severity of disease, is the gestational age when the fetus is infected: the severity is high in the first months; the frequency prevails in the last months of pregnancy. The third factor influencing the severity and the manifestations of an intrauterine infection is the tissue tropism of each virus: many manifestations of intrauterine VZV infection arise from effects upon the developing nervous system.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Maternal-Infant Department, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy

    Giovanni Nigro

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  1. Giovanni Nigro
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Correspondence to Giovanni Nigro .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy

    Giuseppe Buonocore

  2. Department of Pediatrics Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy

    Rodolfo Bracci

  3. Liverpool Women’s Hospital Neonatal Unit, Liverpool, UK

    Michael Weindling

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Nigro, G. (2018). Fetal Infections: Cytomegalovirus, Herpes Simplex, and Varicella. In: Buonocore, G., Bracci, R., Weindling, M. (eds) Neonatology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29489-6_250

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29489-6_250

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-29487-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-29489-6

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