Infections in pregnancy and the newborn

Abstract

There are many important issues relating to the investigation of infections during pregnancy and immediately after birth. They relate to the scientific areas of the need for diagnosis, for definition of markers of infection, and for the use of surrogate markers of severity, as well as clinical areas relating to diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. Ideally, at the same time, the integrity of any scientific research done to understand the pathogenesis of damage to the fetus and neonate must not be compromised.