IMPACTS OF DENGUE ON PREGNANCY AND PERINATAL OUTCOMES: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Introduction: Dengue is a rapidly spreading urban arbovirus of great importance in public health, bringing numerous maternal consequences such as platelet alterations, liver disorders and neonatal complications, including prematurity and low Apgar score. Objective: To analyze perinatal outcomes related to dengue during pregnancy. Methodology: Cross-sectional study with quantitative analysis of pregnant women confirmed to have severe dengue or dengue with alarm signs admitted for follow-up and resolution of delivery in a high-risk maternity hospital in central Brazil, from January 2019 to December 2022. The Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN) database and electronic medical records were used, resulting in 109 eligible records. The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 22.0. The X² test or Fisher's exact test was applied, and differences where p<0.05 were considered statistically significant, and the Prevalence Ratio (PR) effect measure was used. Results: The outcome variable considered was “platelet alterations”, present in 62.4% of the sample, associated with the variables “schooling” (p=0.051; PR:2.03), “altered liver enzymes” (p=0.004; PR:2.04) and “5th minute Apgar score” (p=0.054; PR:2.26). Conclusion: The occurrence of dengue virus infection during pregnancy can be considered a risk factor for the health of mother and child. Women infected with the dengue virus during pregnancy have lower levels of schooling, are more likely to have liver problems and have newborns with low Apgar scores. Early diagnosis, appropriate management and prevention of morbidity and mortality are essential.