1 - Resident of Paediatrics;
2 - Neonatologist. NICU. Hospital de Dona Estefânia, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central EPE. Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, UNL
- European Congress of Perinatal Medicine 2012. 13-16/06. Paris. (Poster electrónico).
Introduction: The policy of screening pregnant women for infections susceptible of causing foetal disease by vertical transmission allows for an early diagnosis and an improved follow-up of newborn infants. Except for the Second Serologic Enquiry by the General-Directorate of Health in 2002, there is no published data on the immunologic status of these infections within the Portuguese population.
Aim: To assess data on immunity or carrier state for TORCH diseases and group B Streptococcus (GBS) in the population of women in a single referral centre and compare results with previous reports.
Methods and patients: Non-probabilistic study of prevalence of immunity and infection during pregnancy. Data were obtained from the newborns' chart where maternal serology was registered; intermittently performed from April 2004 to December 2009.
Results: 9,508 TORCH serologic tests and 2,639 GBS screening results were registered from 3,162 mothers; 93.3% of women were found to be immune for Rubella, a rate significantly higher for Portuguese women than for foreigners; IgG was found to be positive for Toxoplasma in 25.7%; the rate was higher for older and foreigner women; the positivity rate for CMV was found to be 62.4%, also higher for the oldest; VDRL was positive in 0.5% and HBsAg in 2.3%, more prevalent among foreigners, while antibodies against hepatitis C virus and HIV were found respectively in 1.4% and 2.8%. No cases of congenital infections were found. Concerning GBS, 13.9% of women were carriers. In comparison with the 1988 results, it was found that immunity for rubella had increased and that the rate of positive IgG for toxoplasmosis and CMV had decreased within the population. HIV, HBsAg and HC were not screened at that time.
Conclusion: Although data was gathered from a single maternity, this study could shed some light on the serologic characterization of a Portuguese population in reproductive age, allowing for prophylactic policies evaluation over time.
Key-words: Pregnancy, screening, serology, congenital infections.