Acquiring a viral infection in pregnancy can have a significant impact on the development of the fetus, and lasting consequences for the unborn child. It is therefore important that GPs have a clear understanding of how to manage patients who have been exposed to a potentially harmful virus, or are complaining of viral symptoms themselves. This article will equip the reader with knowledge of the risks that different viral infections pose to the fetus. It will also explore how to assess exposure and manage viral infections in pregnancy.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Al-KhanA.CaligiuriA.ApuzzioJ. (2003) Parvovirus B-19 infection during pregnancy. Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gynecology11: 175–179. doi: 10.1080/10647440300025518.
Giorgio, E., De Oronzo, M., Iozza, I., Di Natale, A., Cianci, S., Garofalo, G., …, Politi, S. (2010). Parvovirus B19 during pregnancy: A review. Journal of Prenatal Medicine, 4(4), 63–66. Retrieved from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3279187/#!po=7.14286.
LamontR.SobelJ.CarringtonD.Mazaki-ToviS.KusanovicJ.VaisbuchE.RomeroR. (2011) Varicella zoster virus (chickenpox) infection in pregnancy. British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology118(10): 1155–1162. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2011.02983.x.
7.
LamontR. F.SobelJ.VaisbuchE.KusanovicJ. P.Mazaki-ToviS.KimS. K.RomeroR. (2011) Parvovirus B19 infection in human pregnancy. British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology118(2): 175–186. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2010.02749.x.
8.
MacMahon, E. (2012). Investigating the pregnant woman exposed to a child with a rash. British Medical Journal, 344, e1790. doi: 10.1136/bmj.e1790.
Rudnick, C., & Hoekzema, G. (2002). Neonatal herpes simplex virus infections. American Family Physician, 65(6), 1138–1142. Retrieved from www.aafp.org/afp/2002/0315/p1138.pdf.
21.
UK Screening Portal. (2012). Cytomegalovirus. The UK NSC policy on cytomegalovirus screening in pregnancy. Retrieved from www.screening.nhs.uk/cytomegalovirus.