Summary
A number of infections are associated with significant maternal and fetal consequences. In general, perinatal infections have more serious fetal consequences when they occur early in gestation, because they may disrupt organogenesis. By contrast, second and third trimester infections are more likely to cause neurologic impairment or growth disturbances. With few exceptions, treatment of infectious diseases is not altered substantially by pregnancy; however, as infectious diseases often dramatically affect the outcome of the pregnancy, obstetric and anesthetic management decisions should be directed with awareness of these pathogens to optimize the outcome for mother and infant.
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Keywords
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection
- Obstet Gynecol
- Lyme Disease
- Bacterial Vaginosis
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Tsen, L.C., Norwitz, E.R. (2004). Infectious Disease. In: Datta, S., Hepner, D.L. (eds) Anesthetic and Obstetric Management of High-Risk Pregnancy. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-21572-7_26
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