title: Listeria infection during pregnancy: a 10 year experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although Listeria monocytogenes is widely distributed in nature, it rarely causes clinical infection in previously healthy people. This microorganism, however, may cause severe invasive disease in pregnant women and newborns.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate--in our pregnant population--the impact, severity and outcome of listeriosis on both mother and fetus.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was carried out at a level III, university two-hospital complex. In a retrospective chart review of 65,022 parturients during a 10 year period (1990-1999), we identified and evaluated 11 pregnant patients and their offspring with Listeria infection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Chorioamnionitis with multiple placental abscesses were observed in all five placentae examined. Clinically, 4 of 11 parturients had a cesarean section for fetal distress (36.3%), as compared to the 14% mean CS rate in our general population. Two of 11 had a late abortion (18.1%), as compared with the 4% rate in our hospital. Four of 11 had premature labor (36%), which was about four times the rate in our population. Finally, although no intrauterine fetal death was recorded in our series, there was one neonatal death of a term infant (1/11, 9%), which is about 10 times higher than our corrected perinatal mortality rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  If not promptly and adequately treated, listeriosis in pregnancy may present serious hazards to the fetus and newborn through direct infection of the placenta and chorioamnionitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hadassah Medical Center, (Ein Kerem and Mt. Scopus Campuses), Hebrew University Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Abraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Benshushan
authors.forename: Avi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsafrir
authors.forename: Revital
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Arbel
authors.forename: Galia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rahav
authors.forename: Ilana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ariel
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rojansky
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002821:Chorioamnionitis / Q000209:etiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008088:Listeriosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D010920:Placenta / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents