Prospective study of Epstein Barr virus (EBV) infection during pregnancy

The serological EBV profile of 2752 pregnant women characterized in most cases a latent EBV carrier state. The pregnancy rarely reactived this latent infection. But mothers with an "active" EBV serology gave birth more frequently than others to still born or defective bodies. In six pregnancies with primary EBV infection, detected early, four presented a pathological delivery. Furthermore the follow up of the EBV profile in 719 mothers revealed a significant relation between defective births and persistent EA antibodies. The role of EBV has yet to be precisely defined but the early detection of anti-EA EBV antibodies should be considered as a risk indicator in the management of pregnancy.