Zika virus is a flavivirus transmitted mainly by Aedes mosquitoes, and pregnant women are usually asymptomatic or have non-specific symptoms. The virus can cross the placental barrier and is intensely neurotropic, with destructive and malformative consequences on the fetal central nervous system, causing a series of severe abnormalities in infected fetuses in the first trimester, more severe than in TORCH infections. Viral infection can be suspected during ultrasound screening by highlighting severe microcephaly and macroscopic calcifications in the fetal brain. In addition, auditory, ocular, or musculoskeletal abnormalities have been reported. Prophylaxis of infection in pregnant women is essential due to the increased risk of fetal damage currently, there is no vaccine or approved treatment.
About 3-5% of pregnancies are complicated by preeclampsia (PE), a multisystem disorder of exact unknown etiology, characterized by new-onset hypertension (>140/90 mmHg), proteinuria, and/or evidence of organ dysfunction. Although it is not yet completely understood what causes PE, maternal and placental factors seem to be involved. Endothelial dysfunction, maternal vascular inflammation, and remodeling of spiral arteries during placentation seem to be the underlying mechanisms of this pregnancy-related disease. Acute PE neurological complications, such as eclamptic seizures, cerebral edema, and intracerebral hemorrhage, are responsible for more than 70% of maternal deaths. Furthermore, long-term complications, such as cognitive dysfunction, the elevated lifetime risk of cerebrovascular disease, and persistent white matter lesions increase the rate of PE-related maternal morbidity and mortality. Hypertensive disorders associated with pregnancy affect not only the mother but also the baby by restricting the supply of nutrients and oxygen to the fetus. This has been associated with impaired cognitive development in children, increased lifetime cerebrovascular, cardiovascular, and metabolic risk, low intelligence quotient (IQ) and mental development indices (MDI), and more depression symptoms later in life. This study aims to review the literature and synthesize available information about preeclampsia and its neurological consequences on both the mother and the fetus.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological condition found in young women of reproductive age, and pregnancy can be a challenge. Lack of consensus on the conduct and impact of MS on pregnancy outcomes requires adequate counseling for these patients. Early initiation of treatment in MS to prevent long-term disability is extremely important because delaying treatment after the woman achieves irreversible complications may accompany reproductive goals. Aggression and disease progression requires an ideal schedule for conception. Initiation of treatment and successful pregnancy monitoring are clear goals of healthcare providers. Counseling of patients with MS before pregnancy, conduct during pregnancy, mode of delivery, and postpartum management, to which is added the choice of type of medication are important criteria that prevent complications secondary to the clinical course of this disease.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.