title: Effect of zoster immunoglobulin for varicella prophylaxis in the newborn.
abstract: Zoster immunoglobulin (ZIG) was given for prophylaxis to 95 neonates born to mothers with perinatal varicella. The treatment had no influence on the clinical attack rate; 48 (50%) of the children developed varicella. However, the ZIG treatment clearly influenced the course of the disease for newborns at particular risk, i.e. when maternal varicella developed within 4 days before and 2 days after delivery. Of 41 such neonates, 21 (51%) contracted varicella with an incubation mean time of 11 days. 13 of the 21 developed a very mild chickenpox (no fever, less than or equal to 20 pocks), 6 had a mild to normal disease, and 2 (10%) had more severe infections; none died or got sequelae after the disease. These results should be compared with the expected rate of complications in non-treated neonates in the defined risk group, where the mortality among those contracting varicella has been reported to be as high as about 30%.
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000917:Antibody Formation; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral