Severe fetal symptomatic infection from human cytomegalovirus following non-primary maternal infection: report of two cases

Conclusion The impact of non-primary maternal infection on pregnancy outcome is unknown and fetal brain damage in HCMV seroimmune transmitter-mothers can occur as a consequence of maternal re-infection or reactiva tion for a hypotetic different role of HCMV-primed CD4+ or CD8+ T-cells in fetal brain, with progressive brain lesions coexistent in the first case and with severe unexpected anemia in the second case. A previous maternal HCMV immunity should not exempt to test anemic fetuses for such infection, nor to consider a potential transplacental transmission.
Source: Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy - Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Source Type: research