Infections virales chez le nouveau-né

Neonatal infections can occur in the prenatal period (congenital infection) or in the first days of life. Congenital infections may lead to severe damage of the fetus or the newborn depending on the infectious agent and the term of pregnancy where the infection occurred. Symptomatic congenital infections more likely occur in case of maternal primary infection in the first half of pregnancy (cytomegalovirus, rubella virus, varicella-zoster virus). In the post-natal period, the virus' involved are usually herpes simplex virus', enterovirus, and varicella-zoster virus'. The aim of this article is to describe clinical consequences, biological tools available for diagnosis, and management of viral infections in the neonate.