TY - JOUR T1 - Managing varicella zoster infection in pregnancy JF - Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine JO - Cleve Clin J Med SP - 290 LP - 296 VL - 74 IS - 4 AU - Carolyn Gardella AU - Zane A. Brown Y1 - 2007/04/01 UR - http://www.ccjm.org/content/74/4/290.abstract N2 - Varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection can be serious for pregnant women and their babies, although it is rare. The implications of primary VZV infection vary with the gestational age at infection. For the mother, the risk of severe illness is greatest after mid-pregnancy, when she is relatively immunocompromised. For the fetus, the risk of congenital infection is greatest when maternal infection occurs in the first or second trimester. Maternal infection is preventable by preconception vaccination. ER -