Clinical and laboratory features and risk factors of perinatal Epstein–Barr virus infection

<p>Two hundred and twenty-four mother-neonate pairs were examined; of them 39 infants were diagnosed as having perinatal Epstein– Barr virus infection. Later on, two groups of infants (39 and 98 with and without this infection, respectively) were followed up during the first year of life. Epstein–Barr virus infection was shown to be widespread among fertile-age women and perinatal infection of this etiology. The risk of the perinatal infection is high in the active forms of Epstein–Barr virus infection in women who have complicated pregnancy, in those who are aged over 30 years in particular, in whose who suffer from chronic tonsillitis, who are urban dwellers and have bad habits (smoking). The signs of neonatal perinatal infections are nonspecific manifestations of TORCH syndrome. Acute respiratory viral infections show a complicated course in most cases of infants with perinatal Epstein–Barr virus infection during the first year of life.