All issues > Volume 46(10); 2003

Case Report

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 2003;46(10):1047-1050. Published online October 15, 2003.

A Case of Perinatal Varicella Infection

Jeong A JA Rho¹, Young Il YI Rho¹, Eun Young EY Kim¹, Sang Kee SK Park¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju, Korea

Correspondence Sang Kee SK Park ,Email: skpark@chosun.ac.kr

Abstract

Maternal varicella resulting in viremia may transmit the virus to the fetus by either transplacental spread, or by ascending infection from lesion in the birth canal. The characteristic symptoms consist of skin lesions in dermatomal distribution, eye diseases, neurological defects, and limb hypoplasia. Varicella of the newborn is a life-threatening illness that may occur when a newborn is delivered either within five days of the onset of the illness or after postdelivery exposure to varicella. The severity of neonatal disease is dependent upon the timing of maternal illness. The clinical approach to varicella of newborns should emphasize prevention. Our patient was the first child of a 31-year- old mother who had varicella-zoster ten days before delivery. The child showed muscular hypotonia, poor feeding but no skin lesions.

Keywords :Maternal varicella, Transplacental spread