Parvovirus B19, a member of the Parvoviridae family, is a human pathogenic virus. It can be transmitted by respiratory secretions, hand-to-mouth contact, blood transfusion, or transplacental transmission. Most patients are asymptomatic or present with mild symptoms such as erythema infectiosum, especially in children. In rare cases, moderate-to-severe symptoms may occur, affecting blood cells and other systems, resulting in anemia, thrombocytopenia, and neutropenia. Non-immune pregnant women are at risk for fetal infection by parvovirus B19, with greater complications if transmission occurs in the first or second trimester. Infected fetuses may not show any abnormalities in most cases, but in more severe cases, there may be severe fetal anemia, hydrops, and even pregnancy loss. Maternal diagnosis of intrauterine parvovirus B19 infection includes IgG and IgM antibody testing. For fetal diagnosis, PCR is performed through amniocentesis. In addition to diagnosing the infection, it is important to monitor the peak of systolic velocity of the middle cerebral artery (PVS-MCA) Doppler to assess the presence of fetal anemia. There is no vaccine for parvovirus B19, and fetal management focuses on detecting moderate/severe anemia by fetal PVS-MCA Doppler, which, if diagnosed, should be treated with intrauterine transfusion by cordocentesis. Prevention focuses on reducing exposure in high-risk populations, particularly pregnant women.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a novel coronavirus originated in Wuhan, China, and spread all over the world, causing the worst pandemic of the century. The disease has a broad continuum of clinical presentations, from mild to life-threatening. The virus is highly contagious and transmittable to humans. Emerging evidence of its effects on pregnant women and newborns is inconsistent and ever-evolving. Therefore, the objective of this review is to compile the scientific literature on the effects of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus on pregnancy, pregnant women, and newborns. Data were obtained by several authors using PubMed, MEDLINE, Google Scholar, and Web of Science. \"COVID-19\", \"pregnancy\", \"vertical transmission\", and \"newborn\" were the search words used to find relevant articles. Most studies suggested pregnant women and newborns are not at additional risk for unfavorable outcomes. Besides, very few studies found newborns who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 upon delivery from a COVID-positive mother. However, several studies showed no evidence of intrauterine or transplacental transmission of COVID-19 infection. Studies had mixed findings with a few showing the presence of the virus in breastmilk. In conclusion, there is no concrete evidence of additional adverse effects of SARS-CoV-2 on pregnant women and newborns.

Preterm newborns are exposed to several risk factors for developing brain injury. Clinical studies have suggested that the presence of intrauterine infection is a consistent risk factor for preterm birth and white matter injury. Animal models have confirmed these associations by identifying inflammatory cascades originating at the maternofetal interface that penetrate the fetal blood-brain barrier and result in brain injury. Acquired diseases of prematurity further potentiate the risk for cerebral injury. Systems biology approaches incorporating ante- and post-natal risk factors and analyzing omic and multiomic data using machine learning are promising methodologies for further elucidating biologic mechanisms of fetal and neonatal brain injury.

BACKGROUND: Necrotising funisitis (NF) is a rare, chronic stage of funisitis, a severe inflammation of the umbilical cord and an important risk factor for fetal adverse outcomes. NF is characterized by yellow-white bands running parallel to the umbilical blood vessels. These bands consist of inflammatory cells, necrotic debris, and calcium deposits. Calcification is visible in ultrasonography, which makes it possible to suspect NF when umbilical vascular wall calcification is detected by prenatal ultrasonography.
METHODS: Ultrasonography revealed calcification of the umbilical venous wall in an expectant 31-year-old woman who was gravida 1, para 0. The woman required emergency cesarean section because of fetal distress and suspected umbilical cord torsion at 31 weeks gestation. The root of the umbilical cord was quite fragile and broke during the operation. The pathological results on the placenta showed histologic chorioamnionitis and NF. The infant was diagnosed to have neonatal sepsis and acidosis after delivery but was discharged without severe complications after a one-month hospitalization that included antibiotic and supportive therapy.
CONCLUSIONS: NF is a rare and severe inflammation of the umbilical cord. Umbilical vascular wall calcification discovered in prenatal ultrasonography is diagnostically helpful.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a widespread flavivirus transmitted to humans through the bite of Aedes mosquitoes. The number of ZIKV cases increased significantly between 2015 and 2016, and Brazil was the first to report autochthonous transmission of infection. The main neurological disorder related to ZIKV infection is microcephaly. Fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the gold standard examination for the analysis of fetal brain infection, followed by obstetric ultrasonography. Cerebral atrophy, intracranial calcifications, ventriculomegaly, cerebellar, and brain gyrus abnormalities are some of the most common findings. Postnatal MRI shows high sensitivity and specificity. Corpus callosum abnormalities, cerebellar hypoplasia, and choroid plexus dilation can be also observed. We present a review of congenital ZIKV infection with emphasis on pre and postnatal brain findings using ultrasonography, MRI, computed tomography, and three-dimensional reconstruction models.

BACKGROUND: Despite the increasingly recognized impact of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), on many aspects of health in adults and children, its effects on neonates born to infected mothers remain unclear. We conducted this study to investigate the outcomes of neonates born to mothers with COVID-19.
METHODS: We searched the medical databases from inception to March 31, 2020 to perform a systematic review of outcomes in neonates born to mothers with COVID-19. Data were pooled using a random effects regression model. Primary and secondary outcomes were neonatal clinical outcomes and infectious status, respectively.
RESULTS: Fourteen studies involving 105 neonates fulfilling the study criteria were identified. The rates of preterm neonates and those small for gestational age (SGA) were 25 (23.8%) and 10 (11.2%), respectively. Among 91 neonates who were tested, 8 (8.8%) were positive for nucleic acids or antibodies for SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, 28 (26.7%) of the neonates were symptomatic and two test-negative neonates died, including one stillbirth. Between test-positive and test-negative groups, the rates of SGA, preterm delivery, duration between maternal symptom onset and delivery, and perinatal complication were not significantly different; but the rate of symptomatic after birth reached significant difference (62.5% vs 20.5%, p = 0.008).
CONCLUSIONS: Most neonates born to infected mothers had favorable outcomes. Although direct evidences of intrauterine infection were scarce, the risk of intrauterine infection should be considered based on a positive test in 8.8% of the neonates. Symptomatic neonates born to infected mothers should receive tests for SARS-CoV-2 to initiate appropriate treatment and quarantine. Further studies are warranted to assess the outcomes of COVID-19 in neonates.

UNASSIGNED: Although nontyphoidal Salmonella infections have a prevalence of 0.2-1.8%. It is mostly described in veterinary medicine; it could be responsible for severe intra-amniotic infections in humans. The objective of this review is to describe the clinical and microbiological aspects of intrauterine infection (IUI) caused by nontyphoidal Salmonella.
UNASSIGNED: We reported a case analysis and subsequently conducted a systematic literature review of IUI caused by nontyphoidal Salmonella between 1966 and 2018.
UNASSIGNED: In literature nine cases have been reported, and were confirmed by the identification of a nontyphoidal Salmonella in the biological samples. Our review reveals severe clinical presentations in pregnant women. Indeed, sepsis, spontaneous abortions, and fatal outcomes for fetuses were described in 90, 60, and 80% of the cases, respectively. The major clinical symptoms were in majority acute, with high fever, abdominal pain, metrorrhagia, and premature membranes ruptures. Nulliparity is a risk factor and the prognosis depends on the pregnancy stage. All mothers received antibiotics and their outcomes were favorable.
UNASSIGNED: Nontyphoidal Salmonella infections can be responsible for severe pregnancy complications. Considering the severe neonatal prognosis, in case of a history of diarrhea and/or sepsis, a search for this pathogen should be considered, and a preventive strategy could be discussed during pregnancy.

Knowledge of the spectrum of presentations and the outcome of congenital brucellosis should expedite diagnosis and improve prognostication.
A systematic review of literature of cases of congenital brucellosis was performed on October 10, 2017 (registered as PROSPERO CRD42017072061).
A case seen by the authors was added to the review, yielding 44 reported cases of which 22 (50%) were from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, or Kuwait. For cases with the gestational age reported, 23 of 37 (62%) were preterm. The species was Brucella melitensis in 35 cases, Brucella abortus in 3 cases and not documented in 6 cases. The diagnosis was based on a positive blood culture from the first day of life in 20 cases (45%). Presentation was usually typical for a bacteremic infant of that GA, but two infants were asymptomatic at diagnosis. There were two recurrences and seven deaths (six in preterm infants), but the role of Brucella infection in the deaths was not clear.
Brucellosis remains a concern in endemic countries, adversely affecting pregnancy and very rarely causing neonatal infection. Prematurity appeared to be the prime cause of death in neonates with congenital brucellosis.