congenital and neonatal infections Flashcards
when is the fetus most susceptible to infections/toxins/mutagens, etc
the first trimester
what are the routes of infection to the fetus in congenital infections?
maternal blood, fallopian tubes, cervix, amniocentesis,
what are the barriers to infection for the fetus/
placenta and amniotic membrane.
what determines the severity of the infections to the fetus,
earlier the mother is infected more harm to organs.
what is more harmful to the fetus, acute or reactivation infections
acute because they typically have a higher infectious dose
what are the manifestations of congenital infections?
growth retardation/low birth weight, malformation, fetal loss/still births
what are the typical organisms of congenital infections
rubella, CMV, HIV, toxoplasmosis, T pallidum, parvovirus b19, HSV, VZV
what are the manifestations of perinatal infections
meningitis, septicemia, pneumonia, preterm labor.
what are the organisms involved in perinatal infectios
N. gonorrhea, C. trachomatous, strep agalactiae (group B), E. coli, listeria monocytogenes.
what are the manifestations of postnatal infections
meningitis, septicemia, conjunctivitis, pneumonitis.
what are the organisms involved in the postnatal infections
group B strep. listeria, E. coli.
what gives a high level of suspicion for infection
if the infant is born with abnormal head, eyes, blood, liver, spleen, jaundice or rash
does the mother usually show signs of infection>
no. nothing is usually suspected until the child is not normal.
what has the highest incidence of congenital infections?
CMV. 10X more than all the rest.
what are the other common congenital infections other than CMV
toxoplasmosis, syphilis, rubella.
torch infections>
toxoplasmosis, other, rubella, CMV, herpes,.
what comprises the other in TORCH
syphilis, hep b, VZV, parvovirus b19, HIV, HTLV-1
what are the presentations of torch at birth
rash, chorioretinitis, microcephaly, hepatosplenomegaly, intrauterine growth retardation.
where does toxoplasmosis come from
domestic animals, cats, mice, consumption of cystic bradyzoites.
what are the symptoms of congenital toxoplasmosis
most infants are asymptomatic. or fever, maculopapular rash hepatosplenomegaly, microcephaly, seizures, jaundice, thrombocytopenia,
what is the classic triad of toxoplasmosis
chorioretinitis, hydrocephalus, intracranial calcifications.
what laboratory tests daignose congenital toxoplasmosis
IgM+ on infant is diagnostic. PCR on the amniotic fluid, infant samples, or placenta. direct observation of the cysts.
what are treatment for toxoplasmosis
pyrimethamine (daraprima) + sulfadiazine + folinic acid (leucovorin) for 1 year.
what are the complications if not treated.
chorioretinitis vision loss. intellectual disability, deafness, seizures, spasticity,
congenital syphilis
crosses placenta and causes miscarriages/stillbirths/deaths in 40-50 of affected pregnancies.
what are symptoms of congenital syphilis at birth
66% are asymptom. they can appear at 3m months of age, mostly by 5 weeks. large puffy placenta, hepatomegaly, rhinitis, rash, LAD
diagnosis of syphilis
suspect in all mothers that are positive. VDRL or RPR titer. direct visualization on dark field or direct fluorescence antibody. examine the placenta and umbilical cord for fluorescence
when to test infants for syphilis
<1 month
how to treat syphilis
mother gets penicillin. infant gets 10 day course of aqueous penicillin every 12 hours if less than 7 days and every 8 hours if >7days.
alternative infant treatment for syphilis
procaine penicillin as single dose for 10 days
is congenital rubella serious?
severe disease in 80%. rare in the us. first the virus infects the placenta, then the fetus.
what are the symptoms of congenital rubella
hearing loss, heart defects, opthalmic problems, intrauterine growth retardation, microcephaly and psychomotor retardation.
what organs are affected by congenital rubella
hepatosplenomagaly, boine lesions, thrombocytopenic purpura, pneumonitis
is there a vaccine for rubella
yes
what are the risk factors for CMV infection
no prior infection, pregnancy at younger age, first pregnancy, new sex partner when pregnant, frequent contact with babies and toddlers.
what is concerning about CMV
the mothers illness can be subclinical and she wont know. primary infection during pregnancy has the worst prognosis
intrauterine CMV transmission
CMV in maternal blood infects the placenta (primary infection carries more viral load), viral spread is slow through placenta and reaches the fetus causing damage to developing organs.