[Study of the relationship dengue-pregnancy in a group of cuban-mothers]

The current worldwide situation of dengue infection, and particularly in the American continent, is analyzed taking into account the increasing risk for infection during pregnancy which exists in endemic areas; the consequences of an eventual vertical transmission of the virus are practically unknown yet. We studied 59 women who gave birth to their children between 5 and 9 months after the "peak phase" of the type 2 dengue virus epidemic which broke out in Cuba in 1981. Sera of the mothers and newborns were studied through various serologic techniques in order to detect antibodies; in some cases we tried to isolate the virus, without success, from serum samples taken from the newborns; among these, we found 4 cases with positive IgM. These newborns showed neither apparent fetal damage at birth nor further alterations in a follow-up carried out when they reached 5 years of age. The need of carrying out further studies contributing to establish an adequate management of pregnant women infected by dengue virus is discussed.