Poliomyelitis in pregnancy

Acute poliomyelitis occurs in all trimesters of pregnancy. At one time there were six women in the poliomyelitis ward at Children's Hospital, five of whom were either pregnant or recently delivered. Poliomyelitis is an important entity in the differential diagnosis of diseases complicating pregnancy. Once diagnosed, treatment is directed primarily toward the symptoms of poliomyelitis, secondarily toward pregnancy. Effort should be made to maintain adequately high oxygen tension in the maternal blood stream to protect the fetus. The prognosis of the disease when it occurs during pregnancy may be less predictable, but it is generally good for both mother and infant. Although the incidence of abortion is relatively high, if the pregnancy goes to term parturition is expected to be normal. The number of cases reported is not sufficient to establish the significance of the suspected selective occurrence of poliomyelitis in pregnancy.