Prenatal infection with respiratory virus tied to inflammation and poorer growth in fetus

In a recent study by researchers have shed light on the intricate dynamics of vertical transmission of respiratory viruses from pregnant women to their offspring. Researchers have found in a new study that Prenatal infection with respiratory virus is tied to inflammation and poorer growth in fetus.

The findings were published in American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

The study spanned from October 2020 to June 2022 and focused on the transmission of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This study looked into the frequencies, mechanisms, and postnatal outcomes of such transmissions.

Using droplet digital PCR, the research examined blood mononuclear cells from 103 mother-baby dyads. The findings revealed that twice as many newborns were vertically infected with RSV compared to SARS-CoV-2, with frequencies at 25.2% and 11.9%, respectively (p = 0.019).

Multiplex ELISA analysis further uncovered significantly heightened concentrations of various inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in both maternal and cord blood from newborns with evidence of viral exposure in utero. This inflammatory response was notably absent in the control dyads group.