Intrauterine Infection and Developmental Delay

Developmental delay or psychomotor delay refers to slow progress in the attainment of developmental milestones. This may be caused by either static or progressive encephalopathy. Intrauterine infection is one of important caused of developmental delay in children. The most common cause of them is HIV and cytomegalovirus (CMV).HIV infection can occur in utero but most of them occur prenatally. Reported case of congenital syphilis has increased since 1988. Every child with congenital syphilis must be evaluated for HIV infection. CMV is the most common congenital viral infection. Results either from primary maternal infection or reactivation of the virus in the mother clinical manifestation are microcephaly, hydrocephaly intra cerebral calcification, glaucoma and chorioretinitis except for the brain, most organ involvement is self-limited much of the brain damage occur in utero and is not influenced by postnatal treatment. Congenital lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM) virus in prenatal infection causes severe brain malformation. The most commonly are macrocephaly, microcephaly hydrocephaly chorioretinopathy blindness and psychomotor retardation. Rubella embriopathy is characterized by intrauterine growth retardation, cataracts, chorioretitis, nervous system involvement, bulging fontanels, lethargy, hypotonia, seizures. Rubella embriopathy because of mass immunization has almost disappeared but reappears when immunization rates decline. Toxoplasmosis: Transplacental transmission is in situations of primary maternal infection during pregnancy transmission rate is lowest during first trimester but fetuses infected at that time have the most serious sequellae. The transmission rate is highest in the last trimester but fetus’s infections are least. Neurological dysfunction is manifest as: seizures, altered states of consciousness and increased intracranial pressure. The triad of hydrocephalus, chorioretinitis and intracranial calcification is the hallmark of congenital toxoplasmosis in older children

کلیدواژه ها:

Intrauterine infection ، Brain damage ، Developmental delay