Clinical presentation of congenital viral infections

Most infectious agents to which pregnant women are exposed are without long-term consequence for mother or child; however, an important subgroup of viruses can be transmitted vertically, causing intrauterine infection of the developing fetus or in the fully developed child around the time of birth. Clinical manifestations are varied; they can be severe, even fatal. Some viruses cause acute illnesses in the mother (either primary or recurrent), others are persistent infections borne in maternal blood or lying latent in nerve endings. For each virus, risk of transmission and risk of damage are dependent on multiple factors such as the gestation at acquisition, the pathophysiology of the organism and maternal and fetal immunity. The infant's clinical presentation may be characteristic but there is much overlap between infections. Medical interventions or treatments to reduce the severity of outcome are available for some congenital viral infections, applied in utero, perinatally or postpartum.