Congenital and Perinatal Infections Flashcards
What do you do with a mother who contracts a primary herpes simplex virus infection during pregnancy?
Administer acyclovir
What are some complications of primary chickpox infection?
Secondary bacterial infection
Pneumonitis
Cerebellar ataxia
How is chicken pox transmitted?
Respiratory droplets
Direct contact
How can you treat acute aplastic crisis in a foetus?
Intrauterine transfusion
What does anti-CMV IgG with high avidity indicate?
The infection has been present for a longer period of time - long enough for strong avidity to develop
What infections are screened by antenatally?
Rubella
Syphilis
Hep B and C
HIV
(VZV, CMV, Toxoplasma)
Is there anything to worry about with asymptomatic, neonatal CMV infections?
Yes, 10-15% develop long term deficits - classic neuro-sensory hearing loss - screened for
What is worse, congenitally or postnatally acquired CMV infection?
Congenital
What type of virus is rubella?
ssRNA
Enveloped
When is the risk of damage highest in congenital rubella syndrome?
Early on in pregnancy
What are the three most common defects caused by congenital varicella?
Cicatricial scarring (dermatomal)
Limb hypoplasia
Microcephaly, cataracts
What is the clinical presentation of rubella?
Low-grade fever
Occipital, posterior cervical, postauricular lymphadenopathy
Exanthem - widespread rash
Polyarthralgia / arthritis
For which disease do you get characteristic owl-eye viral inclusions?
CMV
Who receives VZIG?
Infants whose mother develops varicella 7 days prior or in the first month of life
Susceptable pregnant mothers
Premature babies
Immunocompromised
When is the varicella vaccine administered?
At 18months with the MMR booster
What are some outcome of syphilis infection in pregnancy?
Stillbirth
Premature delivery
What is the incubation period of chicken pox?
10-21 days (average 14)
How can you differentiate a primary vs reactivating CMV infection when IgM is found in both?
Look back at the antenatal screen for IgG
German measles is another name for what?
Rubella
What is the incubation period of rubella?
14-21 days
How does parvovirus present?
Slapped cheek rash
Fever
Generalised macropapular rash on the body
Arthralgia
Acute aplastic crisis
What stage of syphilis infection most likely to transmit to a foetus?
Primary
How does maternal varicella present?
Respiratory symptoms for 2-5 days - including productive cough with haemoptysis
What is the clinical course of chicken pox infection?
Fever, lethargy > Vesicular rash (clear vesicle > cloudy > rupture)
Over 2-6 days
When is maternal varicella most dangerous?
When it occurs in the third trimester - 2% mortality
How does post-partum cytomegalovirus infection present?
Hepatomegaly
Respiratory distress
Atypical lymphocytosis
What type of virus is Varicella-Zoster Virus?
dsDNA
Icosahedral
Enveloped
What is the mortality of perinatal varicella?
25-30%
How is cytomegalovirus transmitted?
In the bodies secretions
Transplacental
Transplant tissue
Why is acute aplastic crisis more likely in foetus’?
Because their RBCs have a shorter lifespan
What is used to treat CMV infection?
Ganciclovir
What are the classical triad of symptoms for rubella infection?
Ophthalmological - cataracts
Cardiac - PDA,
Auditory - sensorineural deficient
How is rubella transmitted?
Nasopharyngeal secretions - highly infectious > 50-90% of susceptible individuals during an outbreak
What type of vaccine is rubella?
Live attenuated
In what period must primary maternal varicella infection occur for there to be a risk of perinatal varicella?
-7 to +2 from delivery
What are perinatal infections?
Those acquired during birth
