Title
Risk Factors for Maternal Chagas Disease and Vertical Transmission in a Bolivian Hospital
Date Issued
05 October 2021
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Klein M.D.
Tinajeros F.
Del Carmen Menduiña M.
Condori B.J.
Urquizu F.
Bowman N.M.
Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
Publisher(s)
Oxford University Press
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Vertical transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi infection accounts for a growing proportion of new cases of Chagas disease. Better risk stratification is needed to predict which women are more likely to transmit the infection. METHODS: This study enrolled women and their infants at the Percy Boland Women's Hospital in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Pregnant women were screened for Chagas disease by rapid test and received confirmatory serology. Infants of seropositive mothers underwent diagnostic testing with quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). RESULTS: Among 5828 enrolled women, 1271 (21.8%) screened positive for Chagas disease. Older maternal age, family history of Chagas disease, home conditions, lower educational level, and history of living in a rural area were significantly associated with higher adjusted odds of maternal infection. Of the 1325 infants of seropositive mothers, 65 infants (4.9%) were diagnosed with congenital Chagas disease. Protective factors against transmission included cesarean delivery (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: .60; 95% confidence interval [CI]: .36-.99) and family history of Chagas disease (aOR: .58; 95% CI: .34-.99). Twins were significantly more likely to be congenitally infected than singleton births (OR: 3.32; 95% CI: 1.60-6.90). Among congenitally infected infants, 32.3% had low birth weight, and 30.8% required hospitalization after birth. CONCLUSIONS: Although improved access to screening and qPCR increased the number of infants diagnosed with congenital Chagas disease, many infants remain undiagnosed. A better understanding of risk factors and improved access to highly sensitive and specific diagnostic techniques for congenital Chagas disease may help improve regional initiatives to reduce disease burden.
Start page
e2450
End page
e2456
Volume
73
Issue
7
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Enfermedades infecciosas
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85118283307
PubMed ID
Source
Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America
ISSN of the container
10584838
Sponsor(s)
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases R01AI107028 NIAID
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus