INTRODUCTION
In pregnancy, potential effects of infections on both mother and fetus must be considered. Pregnant women are at increased risk of some infections due to physiologic changes of pregnancy. Infections may cause complications with the pregnancy, and some maternal infections are transmissible to the fetus. When determining treatment, potential effects on the fetus and the pregnancy must be taken into consideration including different effects by trimester. In this article, the authors discuss common infections that require special considerations in pregnancy, infections that can be vertically transmitted, and infections that can cause in utero and perinatal infection leading to birth defects (including the classic TORCH infections).
