VZV infection concerning pregnant women and new-borns

Infection with Varicella Zoster Virus during pregnancy is a rare condition. Chikenpox can lead to various complications: Maternal complications with the risk of severe pneumonia (risk around 16 %) with sometimes lethal issue. Fetal complications: before 24 weeks of gestation (WG), transmission to the foetus can lead to severe condition in about 2 % cases. Congenital Varicel la Syndrome associates cutaneous lesions, muscular atrophy, central nervous system lesions and disseminated visceral infection. Fetal infection can al so lead to early tester manifestation in the newborn (3 %), or to asymptoma tic infection (3 %). Molecular analysis of the amniotic fluid with PCR can lead to a prenatal diagnosis. Peripartum infection, with maternal eruption between 5 days before and 2 days after delivery, can induce in 25 % of neon atal infection in the infants with an increased risk of severe or lethal in fection. Maternal tester during pregnancy does not lead to an increased ris k of fetal malformation.