A retrospective analysis of the symptoms and course of dengue infection during pregnancy

Objective: To assess outcomes among pregnant women diagnosed with dengue infection. Methods: In a retrospective study, the medical records of all pregnant women with dengue infection admitted to Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, India, from July to December 2015 were reviewed. Maternal and fetal outcomes were compared by pregnancy length and stage of disease at diagnosis. Results: Overall, 62 pregnant women with dengue infection were identified. Of these, 56 (90%) tested negative for nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) antigen, indicating a later stage of disease. Maternal near miss and mortality were significantly more common among women with DHF or DSS than among those with dengue fever (P<0.001). Spontaneous abortion occurred for four of six women diagnosed in the first trimester, and one of two women diagnosed in the second trimester. Among 22 women diagnosed at 26-36+6 weeks, 9 (41%) delivered preterm. There was one case of stillbirth at 37 weeks and no cases of neonatal death. Conclusion: Women diagnosed with dengue fever had far better outcomes than did those with DHF or DSS.