OBJECTIVE To study the outcome of 20 twin pregnancies with evidence of primary or recurrent cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection during pregnancy. DESIGN Observational study. SETTING Two tertiary perinatal departments in Israel. POPULATION Twenty women with twin pregnancies who were referred because of serologic investigation indicating CMV infection. Seventeen women had evidence of primary CM...

Although infection with the Zika virus was first recognized in 1942, it received little attention until 2007, when a true pandemic spread throughout Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Since then, numerous forms of central nervous system involvement have been described, mainly malformations related to congenital infection. Although the neuroimaging findings in congenital Zika syndrome are not patho...

Syphilis in pregnancy can cause considerable fetal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. It is endemic in the developing world but it is now resurgent in the developed world. Maternal syphilis can result in fetal infection leading to fetal and neonatal harm. Mid-trimester miscarriages, stillbirths, low birth weight, prematurity, congenital syphilis and neonatal deaths are all the results of syp...

This report provides an update on the surveillance conducted by the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit (APSU) during the period 1 January to 31 December 2012. The APSU, now in its 20th year of operation, continues to facilitate national active surveillance of uncommon communicable diseases of childhood. In 2012, the APSU conducted national surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), co...

To the Editor: We fully agree with the editorial by Pass noting that congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a serious disorder that does not receive the attention it deserves. To Pass’s valuable introduction, we would like to add a discussion on the possibilities for prevention. Not only does congenital CMV pose a serious health problem for affected infants, but children with congenital ...

BACKGROUND Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a public health issue, and implementation of neonatal screening has been debated. Detection of CMV DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of dried blood spots (DBS) routinely collected for metabolic screening from all newborns has been proposed for congenital CMV infection screening. The goal of this study was to prospectively assess the ...

The rapid spread of Zika virus (ZIKV) and its association with abnormal brain development constitute a global health emergency. Congenital ZIKV infection produces a range of mild to severe pathologies, including microcephaly. To understand the pathophysiology of ZIKV infection, we used models of the developing brain that faithfully recapitulate the tissue architecture in early to midgestation. ...

Toxoplasmosis is a systemic infection caused by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which is transmitted through the ingestionofcontaminated food. Less frequently, toxoplasmosis is acquired by blood transfusion or an organ transplant. Congenital toxoplasmosis, which is caused by vertical transmission from the mother to the fetus, has an estimated prevalence of 20% of infected mothers tran...

AIM To study the development of children with selectively treated cytomegalovirus infection. PATIENTS AND METHODS We studied prospectively a risk group of 12 children with cytomegalovirus infection. These children were diagnosed by serological screening in the first three months after birth and are defined as congenital and perinatal infections. Thirteen infants with no serological evidence o...

BACKGROUND Postoperative infections contribute substantially to morbidity and mortality after congenital heart disease surgery and are often preventable. We sought to identify risk factors for postoperative infection and the impact on outcomes after congenital heart surgery, using data from the International Quality Improvement Collaborative for Congenital Heart Surgery in Developing World Coun...