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Sera from 22,935 women were collected early in pregnancy and again at delivery. Abnormal termination of pregnancy, excluding abortion, occurred in 1276 by malformation (968), stillbirth (200) or neonatal death (108). Serologic tests for evidence of infection with selected coxsackie and echoviruses were performed on sera from 630 mothers of anomalous infants together with control sera representing normal infants, and the results were evaluated statistically. Coxsackie B2 and B4 were associated with urogenital anomalies and type A9 with defects of the digestive system. Cardiovascular anomalies were associated with coxsackie B3 and B4 infection during pregnancy and the likelihood of congenital heart disease was increased by maternal infection with two or more coxsackie B viruses rather than one. Anomalous infants weighed less than their controls and were more often male.
Brown et al. (Wed,) studied this question.