Purpose: To determine the frequency of fetal infection as well as adverse pregnancy outcomes following antenatal hyperimmunoglobulin (HIG) treatment for primary cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in pregnancy.
Methods: In our observational cohort study, data from 46 women with a primary CMV infection during pregnancy were evaluated. Primary CMV infection was defined by seroconversion or the presence of CMV-IgM and low CMV-IgG avidity. All women received at least two or more infusions of HIG treatment (200 IU/kg). Congenital CMV infection (cCMV) was diagnosed by detection of CMV in amniotic fluid and/or neonatal urine. We compared the rate of maternal–fetal transmission from our cohort to data without treatment in the literature. The frequency of adverse pregnancy outcomes was compared to those of live-born infants delivered in our clinic.
Results: We detected 11 intrauterine infections in our cohort, which correlates to a transmission rate of 23.9%. Compared to the transmission rate found in cases without treatment (39.9%), this is a significant reduction (P = 0.026). There were no adverse pregnancy outcomes in our cohort. The mean gestational age at delivery was 39 weeks gestation in treatment and control group.
Conclusion: The administration of HIG for prevention of maternal–fetal CMV transmission during pregnancy seems safe and effective.
