Rationale for review Young adults of childbearing age and pregnant women are travelling more frequently to tropical areas, exposing them to specific arboviral infections such as dengue, zika and chikungunya viruses, which may impact ongoing and future pregnancies. In this narrative review, we analyse their potential consequences on pregnancy outcomes and discuss current travel recommendations. Main findings Dengue virus may be associated with severe maternal complications, particularly post-partum haemorrhage. Its association with adverse fetal outcomes remains unclear, but prematurity, growth retardation and stillbirths may occur, particularly in cases of severe maternal infection. Zika virus is a teratogenic infectious agent associated with severe brain lesions, with similar risks to other well-known TORCH pathogens. Implications of chikungunya virus in pregnancy are mostly related to intrapartum transmission that may be associated with severe neonatal infections and long-term morbidity. Travel recommendations Few agencies provide specific travel recommendations for travelling pregnant patients or couples trying to conceive and discrepancies exist, particularly regarding Zika virus prevention. The risks significantly depend on epidemiological factors that may be difficult to predict. Prevention relies principally on mosquito control measures. Couples trying to conceive and pregnant women should receive adequate information about the potential risks. It seems reasonable to advise pregnant women to avoid unnecessary travel to Aedes spp. endemic regions. The current rationale to avoid travel and delay conception is debatable in the absence of any epidemic. Post-travel laboratory testing should be reserved for symptomatic patients.
Zika virus (ZIKV), a neurotropic single-stranded RNA flavivirus, remains an important cause of congenital infection, fetal microcephaly, and Guillain-Barré syndrome in populations where ZIKV has adapted to a nexus involving the Aedes mosquitoes and humans. To date, outbreaks of ZIKV have occurred in Africa, Southeast Asia, the Pacific islands, the Americas, and the Caribbean. Emerging evidence, however, suggests that the virus also has the potential to cause infections in Europe, where autochtonous transmission of the virus has been identified. This review focuses on evolving ZIKV epidemiology, modes of transmission and host-virus interactions. The clinical manifestations, diagnostic issues relating to cross-reactivity to the dengue flavivirus and concerns surrounding ZIKV infection in pregnancy are discussed. In the last section, current challenges in treatment and prevention are outlined.
Introduction Corpus callosum agenesis (ACC) is frequently diagnosed during fetal life; its prognosis depends also on additional anomalies. The additional value of fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in fetuses with “isolated” complete (cACC) and partial (pACC) agenesis of the corpus callosum on ultrasound is still debated. Material and methods We performed a systematic literature review and meta‐analysis including fetuses with a prenatal diagnosis of cACC and pACC without associated structural anomalies on ultrasound, undergoing fetal MRI. The primary outcome was the rate of additional anomalies detected at fetal MRI. Further analyses assessed the effect of type of ultrasound assessment (neurosonography vs standard axial assessment), gestational age at fetal MRI and rate of postnatally detected brain anomalies. Random‐effect meta‐analyses of proportions were used to analyze the data. Results Fourteen studies (798 fetuses) were included. In cases with isolated cACC, 10.9% (95% CI 4.1‐20.6) and 4.3% (95% CI 1.4‐8.8) additional anomalies were detected by fetal MRI and postnatally, respectively. Stratifying according to the type of ultrasound assessment, the rate of associated anomalies detected only on fetal MRI was 5.7% (95% CI 0.5‐16.0) with dedicated neurosonography and 18.5% (95% CI 7.8‐32.4) with a standard axial assessment. In fetuses with isolated pACC, 13.4% (95% CI 4.0‐27.0) and 16.2% (95% CI 5.9‐30.3) additional anomalies were detected by fetal MRI or postnatally, respectively. Stratifying according to the type of ultrasound assessment, the rate of associated anomalies detected only on fetal MRI was 11.4% (95% CI 2.7‐25.0) when dedicated neurosonography was performed. Cortical and posterior fossa anomalies represented the most common anomalies missed at ultrasound with both cACC and pACC. Due to the very small number of included cases, stratification according to early (<24 weeks of gestation) and late (>24 weeks) fetal MRI could not be done for either cACC or pACC. Conclusions The rate of associated anomalies detected exclusively at fetal MRI in isolated ACC undergoing neurosonography is lower than previously reported. Cortical and posterior fossa anomalies are among the most common anomalies detected exclusively at MRI, thus confirming the crucial role of fetal MRI in determining the prognosis of these fetuses. However, some anomalies still go undetected prenatally and this should be stressed during parental counseling.
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