Aim: Candida infection is one of the main causes of vulvovaginitis. The experience of symptoms of vulvovaginitis during pregnancy changes in relation to clinical, behavioral, and demographic factors. Candidiasis is associated with an increased risk of delivery complications. In some studies pregnant women are found more symptomatic than non-pregnant women, ...

Abstract Presentation of uterine prolapse is a rare event in a pregnant woman, which can be pre-existent or else manifest in the course of pregnancy. Complications resulting from prolapse of the uterus in pregnancy vary from minor cervical infection to spontaneous abortion, and include preterm labor and maternal and fetal ...

The use of raltegravir (RAL) is not preferred to prevent perinatal transmission in pregnancy due to lack of safety and pharmacokinetic data in this population. Data have been limited to few case reports of patients who present for treatment late in pregnancy, have multidrug resistance, or have poor adherence, requiring ...

Abstract Introduction Human Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection during pregnancy is the most frequent viral cause of intrauterine infection and responsible for various cerebral and other ultrasound abnormalities of the fetus. It is the leading infectious cause of mental retardation and sensorineural deafness in affected newborns and infants. We present three cases ...

Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the leading cause of birth defects and developmental delays in the United States. However, only 13-22 % of women in the United States have heard of CMV. This research assessed (1) the quantity and accuracy of CMV information included on pregnancy-related websites and reference books, and (2) ...

BACKGROUND: Malaria in pregnancy (MiP) is a major public health problem in endemic areas of sub-Saharan Africa and has important consequences on birth outcome. Because MiP is a complex phenomenon and malaria epidemiology is rapidly changing, additional evidence is still required to understand how best to control malaria. This study ...

BACKGROUND: Diagnosing Plasmodium falciparum malaria during pregnancy is a great challenge for clinicians because of the low density of parasites in the peripheral blood and parasite sequestration in the placenta. Nevertheless, few data on the use of malaria rapid diagnostic test (RDT) during pregnancy have been published. METHODS: P. falciparum ...

Tularemia is a zoonotic infection caused by Francisella tularensis with a worldwide distribution and diverse clinical manifestations. Although F. tularensis has been recognized as a human pathogen for a century, there are few reports regarding the occurrence of tularemia in pregnant women and its effect on the fetus; only seven ...

Blastomycosis rarely presents in pregnancy. Pregnancy is a state of partial immunodeficiency that predisposes to blastomyces infection, especially in endemic areas. Blastomycosis in pregnancy has been reported in a few female patients and their offspring. We are reporting a 32-year-old pregnant patient at 34 weeks of gestation who presented with ...

Adolescents may be ideal candidates for intrauterine device (IUD) use, given high rates of unintended pregnancy and less successful use of short-acting contraceptive methods. Concerns about elevated risks of pelvic inflammatory disease in adolescents, with the consequences of infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and pelvic pain, prevent many clinicians from inserting IUDs ...

[This corrects the article on p. e2071 in vol. 7.].

The epidemic increase of type 2 diabetes and obesity in developed countries cannot be explained by overnutrition, physical inactivity and/or genetic factors alone. Epidemiologic evidence suggests that an adverse intrauterine environment, in particular a shortage or excess of nutrients is associated with increased risks for many complex diseases later in ...

Plasmodium falciparum placental infection during pregnancy is harmful for both mother and child. Protection from placental infection is parity-dependent, that is, acquired over consecutive pregnancies. However, the infection status of the placenta can only be assessed at delivery. Here, to better understand the mechanism underlying this parity-dependence, we fitted a ...

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Respiratory viral infections are common in pregnancy, but their health impact, especially in asthma is unknown. The objective of the study was to assess the frequency, severity and consequences of respiratory viral infection in pregnancy in women with and without asthma. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, common ...

Maternal sepsis is relatively common. Most of these infections are the result of tissue damage during labor and delivery and physiologic changes normally occurring during pregnancy. These infections, whether directly pregnancy-related or simply aggravated by normal pregnancy physiology, ultimately have the potential to progress to severe sepsis and septic shock. ...

Blastomycosis rarely presents in pregnancy. Pregnancy is a state of partial immunodeficiency that predisposes to blastomyces infection, especially in endemic areas. Blastomycosis in pregnancy has been reported in a few female patients and their offspring. We are reporting a 32-year-old pregnant patient at 34 weeks of gestation who presented with ...

A role for microbial invasion leading to inflammation in the amniotic cavity and subsequent pre-term delivery has been well established. For years, the role of viral infections in pregnancy has been minimized and thought of as harmless, with a few exceptions. Recent evidence now encourages us to expand our thinking ...

Polymorphisms of ATP2B4 encoding an ubiquitous Ca(2+)-pump protect against severe childhood malaria. We assessed the influence of a main polymorphism (rs10900585) on malaria among 834 delivering Ghanaian women. In homozygous primiparae, the odds of placental Plasmodium falciparum infection were reduced by 64%. No influence of the polymorphism on parasite density, ...

The impact of antiretroviral therapy (ART) on the natural history of HIV-1 infection has resulted in dramatic reductions in disease-associated morbidity and mortality. Additionally, the epidemiology of HIV-1 infection worldwide is changing, as women now represent a substantial proportion of infected adults. As more highly effective and tolerable antiretroviral regimens ...

Malaria during pregnancy is a major factor in infant morbidity and mortality. In this issue of Cell Host and Microbe, Conroy et al. (2013) propose that C5a, a product of complement cascade activation, counteracts the placental vascular remodeling response induced by Plasmodium infection and contributes to fetal growth restriction.

Background. Interpretation of positive CMV IgM in the first trimester of pregnancy is ill-defined.Objectives. To quantify the risk of fetal transmission in women with positive CMV IgM in the first trimester.Population and methods. Retrospective cohort of women (2009 to 2011) tested for CMV IgG and IgM before 14 weeks of gestation. IgG avidity ...

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in pregnancy presents a unique and important challenge. Over 50% of chronic HBV carriers in endemic areas acquire infection vertically from their mothers. More importantly, over 90% of perinatally acquired infections progress to chronic HBV infection. Thus, management of chronic HBV during pregnancy and ...

Artemether-lumefantrine is a fixed-dose combination containing 20 mg artemether/120 mg lumefantrine per tablet, used for treating uncomplicated malaria in patients weighing ≥5 kg. It is the first artemisinin-based combination registered in some European countries and in the USA. It is marketed in Europe as Riamet(®) (Novartis, Basel, Switzerland) and in malaria-endemic countries as ...

Some studies suggested that human papillomavirus (HPV) infection could reduce the clinical pregnancy rate and double the spontaneous abortion rate compared with non-infected women after in-vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET). But some other studies showed there was no difference between HPV infected and non-infected groups of ART outcomes. The ...

Background. South Africa has no policy to prevent malaria in pregnancy, despite the adverse effects of the disease in pregnancy. However, malaria control measures consisting of indoor residual spraying and specific antimalarial treatment have been in place since the 1970s. Information on the burden of malaria in pregnancy in South ...

We investigated the effectiveness of routine preventive measures for anemia in Beninese pregnant women during pregnancy. Anemia (hemoglobin < 110 g/L) was common: 68.3% at first antenatal visit (ANV1), 64.7% at second antenatal visit (ANV2), and 40.6% at delivery. Parasitic infections and nutritional deficiencies were the most preventable causes. After ...

ABSTRACT: The present study was aimed at investigating the effect of experimental infection by Trypanosoma vivax in different stages of pregnancy, determining the pathogenesis of reproductive failure, and confirming transplacental transmission. We used 12 pregnant ewes distributed into four experimental groups: G1, was formed by three ewes infected with T. ...

Pregnant women have a higher risk of malaria compared to non-pregnant women. This review provides an update on knowledge acquired since 2000 on P. falciparum and P.vivax infections in pregnancy. Maternal risk factors for malaria in pregnancy (MiP) include low maternal age, low parity, and low gestational age. The main ...

During pregnancy profound perturbations in innate and adaptive immunity impact the clinical course of a number of infectious diseases, including those affecting periodontal tissues. Conversely, it has been suggested that periodontal infections may increase the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. In this review, a summary of the literature associated with ...

A recent outbreak of West Nile virus has allowed for observations as to the clinical course of this emerging pathogen during pregnancy. We present three cases of West Nile virus infection during pregnancy. Case 1 presented at term with focal subjective weakness and fever. With supportive care, her symptoms were ...

Malaria in early pregnancy is difficult to study but has recently been associated with fetal growth restriction (FGR). The pathogenic mechanisms underlying malarial FGR are poorly characterized, but may include impaired placental development. We used in vitro methods that model migration and invasion of placental trophoblast into the uterine wall ...

A term neonate with a transient form of Behçet's disease (BD) is described. The mother had a 3-year history of BD treated with corticosteroids, which remained in remission during pregnancy. On day 1 of life, the neonate was noted to have papulopustular lesions of the labia and perineum. She remained ...

Influenza is a common viral infection during pregnancy associated with increased adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes. Pregnant women represent a unique population with increased risk for influenza morbidity and mortality. Annual immunization is an effective strategy for prevention of influenza. Despite the universal recommendations for influenza vaccination during pregnancy, 50% ...

Objectives To investigate the association between selected sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and the later occurrence of ectopic pregnancy. Methods A total of 125 women with ectopic pregnancy and 125 pregnant controls were recruited between January 2003 and February 2005 at Dr. Zekai Tahir Burak Women's Health Education and Research Hospital, ...

The hallmark of placental malaria (PM) due to Plasmodium falciparum infection is the accumulation of mature-stage parasites, monocytes and macrophages in the maternal vascular bed of the placenta. The mechanisms leading to morbidity and mortality in PM are incompletely understood. However, an inflammatory response in the placenta has been related ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: A high complication rate of Q fever in pregnancy is described on the basis of a limited number of cases. All pregnant women with proven Q fever regardless of clinical symptoms should therefore receive long-term cotrimoxazole therapy. But cotrimoxazole as a folic acid antagonist may cause harm to ...

Abstract The obesity epidemic is a problem of global importance with a profound impact on maternal-fetal health. Currently, 1 in 5 women, worldwide, are obese at time of conception. Normalizing pregravid weight may significantly reduce obstetrical complications and alter the long-term weight status of mother and child. Bariatric surgery is ...

To evaluate the safety of lamivudine (LAM) treatment for chronic hepatitis B in early pregnancy. A total of 92 pregnant women who received LAM treatment either before pregnancy or in early pregnancy were enrolled in this study. All of the pregnant women volunteered to take lamivudine during pregnancy and were ...

Canine herpesvirus (CHV) is a widespread infection among dogs that typically get latently infected after exposure and can reactivate the infection after stress. The aim of the present study was to study the effects of latent CHV infection during pregnancy on pregnancy outcome, and to study if there are signs ...

Influenza infection during pregnancy imparts disproportionate morbidity and mortality. This has been primarily noted during occasional influenza pandemics but also during seasonal epidemics. The majority of pregnant women who contract influenza appear to have a mild, self-limited course. However, influenza produces a severe life-threatening respiratory illness among a non-negligible and ...

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is common among women admitted to obstetric intensive care units, and it contributes significantly, both directly and indirectly, to maternal deaths. We present a case series of ARDS in pregnant women caused by non-obstetric causes. The women were treated at a tertiary hospital in southern ...

Background. Urogenital schistosomiasis is a major public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa and routine programs for screening and treatment of pregnant women are not established. Mefloquine - currently evaluated as a potential alternative to sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine as intermittent preventive treatment (IPTp) against malaria in pregnancy - is known to exhibit activity against ...

OBJECTIVES:Results of animal studies suggest that maternal immune activation during pregnancy causes deficiencies in fetal neurodevelopment. Infectious disease is the most common path to maternal immune activation during pregnancy. The goal of this study was to determine the occurrence of common infections, febrile episodes, and use of antibiotics reported by ...

Abstract Primary Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection during pregnancy is the leading infectious cause of congenital neurological disabilities. Diagnosis of maternal primary CMV infection and fetal compromise can be difficult, as well as the fact that most infected child are asymptomatic at birth, which makes binomial CMV and pregnancy challenging. The treatment ...

Abstract Objective: Pregnancy complications such as intra-amniotic infection, preeclampsia, and fetal growth restriction (IUGR) account for most cases of preterm birth (PTB), but many spontaneous PTB cases do not have a clear etiology. We hypothesize that placental insufficiency may be a potential cause of idiopathic PTB. Methods: Secondary analysis of ...

We tested the hypothesis that maternal worm infections in pregnancy affect infant motor and neurocognitive development, and that anthelminthic treatment during pregnancy can reverse these effects. We used measures which examine infant motor, cognitive and executive function, including inhibition. We assessed 983 Ugandan infants aged 15 months, using locally appropriate ...

Lyme disease results from the bite of a black-legged tick, populations of which have now become established in parts of Nova Scotia, southeastern Quebec, southern Ontario from the Thousand Islands through the geographic regions on the north shore of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, southeastern Manitoba, and British Columbia's Lower ...

Despite increased malaria control efforts, recent reports indicate that over 1.2 million deaths due to malaria occurred in 2010. Pregnant women represent a particularly vulnerable risk group as malaria infection can lead to life-threatening disease for the mother and fetus. With 125 million women at risk of malaria in pregnancy every ...

Hyperimmune globulins were reported to prevent and treat fetal CMV infection during pregnancy. Here we report that infusions of standard human intravenous immunoglobulin significantly increase CMV IgG titres and avidity indexes in pregnant women, paving the way to their use for passive transfer of maternal CMV humoral immunity to foetuses. ...

Background. Many countries have witnessed a disturbing increase in Chlamydia trachomatis cases despite enhanced control programs. Since the goal of Chlamydia control is to prevent reproductive complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease and ectopic pregnancy, an understanding of recent trends in these conditions is needed to fully evaluate the effect of ...