Parvovirus B19 Infection During Pregnancy and Threats to the Fetus

Abstract: Parvovirus B19 infects 1 to 5% of pregnant females, usually with regular pregnancy results. During epidemics, the rate of infection is greater. Significant hereditary anomalies amongst offspring of infected mothers are rare, as the infection does not seem a significant teratogen. Parvovirus B19 infection might cause significant fetal damage, and in rare cases, brain anomalies and neurodevelopmental insults, particularly if infection happens in the very first 20 weeks of pregnancy. Parvovirus B19 is likewise an important cause of fetal loss, especially in the 2nd half of pregnancy when spontaneous fetal loss from other causes is fairly rare. Parvovirus B19 infection might impact many fetal organs and can cause severe anemia, following fetal erythroid progenitor cells infection and apoptosis, specifically in fetuses, that have shortened half‐life of erythrocytes. Extreme anemia may cause high output heart failure and nonimmune hydrops fetalis. In addition, parvovirus B19 might directly infect myocardial cells and produce myocarditis that further aggravates the heart failure. Intrauterine fetal transfusion is typically utilized for the treatment of extreme fetal anemia with survival rates of 75 to 90% and substantial decrease of fetal morbidity. Just 66 cases were assessed neurodevelopmentally, of which 10 (16%) had slight or serious neurodevelopmental problems. Due to the fact that parvovirus B19 infection can cause extreme fetal morbidity and death, it ought to be part of the regular work‐up of pregnant females who have been exposed to the infection or of pregnancies with presumed fetal hydrops. Assessment for maternal infection throughout pregnancy is particularly important throughout upsurges, when sero‐conversion rates are high. Birth Defects Research 109: 311–323,2017 © 2017 Wiley Regulars, Inc.

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