Perinatal Infections of the Neonate

Abstract

The term vertical transmission implies transmission of infections from the mother to her sibling that can occur either intrapartum or peripartum. Although the perinatal period is defined as the period commencing from the 28th week of gestation until the 28th day of life, we shall describe those bacterial and viral infections which are transmitted mainly peripartum that is during delivery. We will thus make a short review on the epidemiologic features emphasizing guidelines for the prevention and management of herpes simplex virus, group B streptococcus, human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B and C viruses and varicella-zoster virus (VZV).

Keywords

• infection
• peripartum
• neonate