Maternal and Fetal Consequences of Dengue Fever During Pregnancy

Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the maternal and foetal consequences of dengue fever infection during pregnancy.

Study Design: A retrospective study was carried out from 1 January 1992 to 10 September 2006 on 53 pregnant women infected with the dengue virus during pregnancy. The women were patients of the obstetrics and gynaecology department of Saint Laurent du Maroni hospital. A dengue infection was confirmed either by the presence of specific IgMs or by isolation of the virus (PCR or culture). The data collected related to obstetric and foetal consequences both during pregnancy and at birth, as well as the effect on the newborn. The risk of maternal-foetal transmission was assessed from 20 samples of blood taken from the umbilical cord at birth.

Results: The principal maternal consequences were: premature labour (41%), premature birth (9.6%), haemorrhage during labour (9.3%: 5 cases) and retroplacental haematoma (1.9%: 1 case). Foetal consequences were: prematurity (20%), foetal death in utero (3.8%: 2 cases), late miscarriage (3.8%: 2 cases), acute foetal distress during labour (7.5%: 4 cases), maternal-foetal transmission (5.6%: 3 cases) and neonatal death (1.9%: 1 case).

Conclusions: Maternal infection with the dengue virus during pregnancy represents a real risk of premature birth. There is also a risk of haemorrhage both for the mother and the baby when infection occurs near term.