Congenital varicella syndrome

Congenital varicella syndrome
Other names: Antenatal varicella virus infection; mother-to-child transmission of varicella syndrome;[1] fetal varicella infection; varicella embryopathy[2]
Stillborn baby with scarring of the left chest, armpit, and upper arm due to a varicella infection at 13 to 15 weeks gestational age.[3]
Specialty	Pediatrics
Usual onset	At or before birth[1]
Frequency	Rare[1]

Congenital varicella syndrome presents as birth defects in a newborn baby of a mother infected with chickenpox during early pregnancy.^[1] Symptoms may include a small baby with skin scarring, small eyes, and cataracts.^[1] Complications may include developmental delay and intellectual disability.^[1]

For the condition to occur the mother must be infected during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy.^[1] Diagnosis is generally based on symptoms in the baby together with a history of chickenpox during pregnancy.^[2] If infection occurs around the time of delivery, a condition known as neonatal varicella may occur.^[2]

Prevention is by vaccinating women who are not immune to chickenpox with the chickenpox vaccine.^[2] Non-immune women who are exposed to chickenpox during pregnancy may be treated with varicella zoster immunoglobulin (VZIG) to try to prevent the condition.^[2] If problems are severe, abortion may be considered.^[3] Once an affected baby is born treatment is mostly supportive care.^[2]

Congenital varicella syndrome is rare, affecting less than one in a thousand pregnancies.^[1][2] The condition was first described in 1947.^[4]

Signs and symptoms

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  Congenital varicella syndrome
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  Congenital varicella syndrome

References