Find in Library
Search millions of books, articles, and more
Indexed Open Access Databases
Maternal–Fetal Infections (Cytomegalovirus, <i>Toxoplasma</i>, Syphilis): Short-Term and Long-Term Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Children Infected and Uninfected at Birth
oleh: Cinzia Auriti, Silvia Bucci, Domenico Umberto De Rose, Luana Coltella, Alessandra Santisi, Ludovica Martini, Chiara Maddaloni, Iliana Bersani, Simona Lozzi, Francesca Campi, Concettina Pacifico, Martina Balestri, Daniela Longo, Teresa Grimaldi
| Format: | Article |
|---|---|
| Diterbitkan: | MDPI AG 2022-10-01 |
Deskripsi
(1) Background: Infections in pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, premature birth, infections in newborns, and developmental disabilities in babies. Infected infants, symptomatic at birth, can have long-term sequelae, and asymptomatic babies are also at increased risk of developing long-term sensorineural outcomes. Targeted therapy of the pregnant mother can reduce fetal and neonatal harm. (2) Aim of the study: To explore the association between symptoms and time of onset of long-term sequelae in infected children born from mothers who contracted an infection during pregnancy, by a long-term multidisciplinary follow-up. (3) Methods: For up to 2–4 years, we evaluated cognitive, motor, audiological, visual, and language outcomes in infants with symptomatic and asymptomatic congenital infections and in uninfected infants. (4) Results: 186 infants born from women who acquired Cytomegalovirus infection (<i>n</i> = 103), <i>Toxoplasma</i> infection (<i>n</i> = 50), and Syphilis (<i>n</i> = 33) during pregnancy were observed. Among them, 119 infants acquired the infection in utero. Infected infants, symptomatic at birth, obtained lower scores on the Cognitive and Motor Scale on Bayley-III compared to asymptomatic and uninfected infants (<i>p</i> = 0.026; <i>p</i> = 0.049). Many severe or moderate sequelae rose up within the first year of life. At 24 months, we observed sequelae in 24.6% (14/57) of infected children classified as asymptomatic at birth, compared to 68.6% (24/35) of symptomatic ones (χ<sup>2</sup> = 15.56; <i>p</i> < 0.001); (5) Conclusions: Infected babies symptomatic at birth have a worse prognosis than asymptomatic ones. Long-term sequelae may occur in infected children asymptomatic at birth after the first year of life. Multidisciplinary follow-up until 4–6 years of age should be performed in all infected children, regardless of the presence of symptoms at birth.