Post-traumatic stress in pregnant women with primary cytomegalovirus infection and risk of congenital infection in newborns.

Background: Substantial evidence indicates that perinatal mental disturbances are associated with the risk for negative maternal-newborn outcomes. A neuroendocrine brain-placenta interaction has been described to explain the association between prenatal stress-related disorders and placental abnormalities. Whether these mechanisms may affect the likelihood of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of infections has never been investigated. AIMS: To evaluate the role of psychological factors in cytomegalovirus (CMV) MTCT in pregnant women with primary CMV infection. METHOD: A cohort of 276 pregnant women with primary CMV infection underwent assessment of (a) reactive psychopathological symptoms, such as current depressive symptoms and ongoing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder; and (b) stable personality traits, such as alexithymia and Type D (distressed) personality. Congenital infection was diagnosed by CMV DNA amplification from blood and/or urine and saliva from newborn at birth. RESULTS: The occurrence of congenital CMV disease in the newborn was independently predicted by post-traumatic stress symptoms during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that psychological stress-related disturbances may weaken the physical and immunological barrier against the mother-to-fetus transmission of viruses. .