Pediatria pre prax 1/2017

Tick-borne disease transmission risks between mother and fetus/child

We provide an overview of the risks of tick-borne disease transmission between the pregnant or nursing mother and the fetus/child. We focus on Lyme disease, human granulocytic anaplasmosis and tick-borne encephalitis. In Lyme disease, transplacental transmission in humans can not be excluded; there is a lack of information regarding transmission through breast milk. Risks of human granulocytic anaplasmosis in pregnancy are likely, but there is not enough information about them. The latter is valid for risks of transmission during breast feeding. As for tick-borne encephalitis, we do not find evidence in scientific literature for transmission through human breast milk, however there is general awareness of the transmission through production animal milk. Information about the risk of infection in pregnancy has not been reported.

Keywords: tick-borne diseases, pregnancy, fetus, child