Dengue infections during pregnancy: case series from a tertiary care hospital in Sri Lanka

Dengue is the most important mosquito-borne disease in Sri Lanka, leading to more than 340 deaths during the last outbreak (˜35,000 reported cases) starting in mid April 2009. The predominant dengue virus serotypes during the last few years have been DENV-2 and DENV-3. Dengue infection in pregnancy carries the risk of hemorrhage for both the mother and the newborn. Other risks include premature birth, fetal death, and vertical transmission. We report clinical and laboratory findings and outcomes in pregnant women hospitalized with dengue infection during pregnancy.

Clinical, laboratory, maternal/fetal outcomes and demographic data were collected from patients with confirmed dengue infections during pregnancy treated at De Soysa Maternity Hospital, Sri Lanka from 1 May 2009 to 31 December 2009.

Fifteen seropositive dengue infected pregnant women were diagnosed in the period. Multiorgan failure leading to intrauterine fetal and maternal death occurred in one case of dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) IV. One patient with DHF III had a miscarriage at the 24th week of gestation. Perinatal outcomes of the other cases were satisfactory. One woman developed dengue myocarditis but recovered with supportive treatments. No cases of perinatal transmission to the neonate occurred.

Dengue in pregnancy requires early diagnosis and treatment. A high index of clinical suspicion is essential in any pregnant woman with fever during epidemic. Further studies are mandatory as evidence-based data in the management of dengue specific for pregnancy are sparse.