Dengue infection and maternal mortality

Infecção por dengue e mortalidade materna

LETTERS CARTAS

Dengue infection and maternal mortality

Infecção por dengue e mortalidade materna

Viroj Wiwanitkit

Wiwanitkit House, Bangkok, Thailand

^{Correspondence}

Dear Sir, the recent publication on dengue infection and maternal mortality is very interesting¹. Mota et al.¹ (p. 1057) concluded that "dengue infection during pregnancy can negatively impact its outcome and increase maternal mortality". Indeed, this finding is not new and has been reported elsewhere, a good example of which is a study from Sudan². However, it is interesting to note that study findings are generally similar regardless of the setting and whether the study area is an endemic or non-endemic area for dengue. A recent meta-analysis study showed that "there is a risk of vertical transmission, but whether maternal dengue infection is a significant risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes is inconclusive"³ (p. 107). An important point that is generally missing in previous studies is the effects of other confounding conditions on pregnancy outcomes.

Submitted on 06/Jun/2012

Approved on 18/Jul/2012

• 1. Mota AKM, Miranda Filho AL, Saraceni V, Koifman S. Mortalidade materna e incidência de dengue na Região Sudeste do Brasil: estudo ecológico no período 2001-2005. Cad Saúde Pública 2012; 28:1057-66.
• 2. Adam I, Jumaa AM, Elbashir HM, Karsany MS. Maternal and perinatal outcomes of dengue in Port Sudan, Eastern Sudan. Virol J 2010; 7:153.
• 3. Pouliot SH, Xiong X, Harville E, Paz-Soldan V, Tomashek KM, Breart G, et al. Maternal dengue and pregnancy outcomes: a systematic review. Obstet Gynecol Surv 2010; 65:107-18.

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  18 Oct 2012
• Date of issue
  Oct 2012