title: Prospective study of cytomegalovirus infection in pregnancy.
abstract: In a prospective study of cytomegalovirus infection in 1,040 pregnant women in London 319 (42%) of the white Englishwomen but only 28 (10%) of the immigrant Asian women were without antibodies at the onset of pregnancy. Out of 254 susceptible white women and 16 susceptible Asian women 8 (3%) and 3 (16%) respectively experienced primary infection during the course of pregnancy. The overall incidence of fetal infection after primary infection in the mother was almost 50%, and was higher in early pregnancy. One out of the five infected infants was found to be mentally retarded.Reactivation of latent infection was recognized in 0.7-2.9% of pregnant women; this occurred without involving the fetus.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D001208:Asia; D003168:Complement Fixation Tests; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000209:etiology; D008131:London; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; D011446:Prospective Studies; D044469:Racial Groups; D014556:Urine / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral