asackie Viral load and DDs!!

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sackie Virus Infection of Placenta Linked to Developmental Delays

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Dec 26 - sackie virus of the placenta is

associated with respiratory failure and central nervous system

abnormalities in newborns, researchers report in the December issue

of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Dr. Gerard J. Nuovo from Ohio State University Medical Center,

Columbus, and colleagues analyzed placental tissue from seven

neonates with severe respiratory failure who later developed

neurodevelopmental abnormalities. They also analyzed tissue from the

placentas of 10 normal infants and from five infants with known

cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex and parvovirus infections of the

placenta.

Using in situ hybridization or reverse transcriptase polymerase chain

reaction (PCR), the tissues were tested for adenovirus, coxsackie

virus, cytomegalovirus, Epstein Barr virus, herpes simplex virus,

influenza A virus, picornavirus, polyoma virus, parvovirus,

respiratory syncytial virus, rotavirus and varicella zoster virus.

In six of the seven of the infants with respiratory failure,

coxsackie virus RNA was found. The other infant was negative for all

tested viruses. However, none of the placenta tissue of the 10

controls or the five infants with a known placental infection showed

coxsackie virus DNA, the researchers report.

Soon after birth, the six infants affected by coxsackie had marked

global cognitive defects that required physical, occupational and

sometimes institutional therapy. These children also occasionally

needed antiseizure therapy.

" This study provides direct evidence that placental infection with

coxsackie virus does occur. It also provides indirect evidence that

coxsackie virus infection of the fetus acquired in utero caused the

global and severe developmental delays that each child exhibited, "

Dr. Nuovo and colleagues comment.

" The absence of detectable coxsackie virus or other infections agents

with an in situ PCR-based methodology may allow the clinician to

eliminate important causes of poor neonatal outcome, " they suggest.

Obstet Gynecol 2001;98:1019-1026>>