[Significance of varicella zoster infection in pregnancy and labor].

The authors observed 25 pregnant or delivering women with varicella and their offsprings from 1986 to 1991. The course of varicella of the pregnant and delivering mothers was generally benign, only one progressive case was observed with pneumonitis after delivery; this woman also recovered upon acyclovir treatment. All but one woman delivered on term, in one case the varicella developed on the 27th gestational week; this woman gave birth to a premature baby of 1180 g who died from a cerebral and lung hemorrhage.

[Hearing loss resulting from purulent meningitis in the light of adjuvant dexamethasone therapy].

Results of objective audiometry of 109 infants and children after purulent meningitis are presented. Among them 17 patients got dexamethasone as a supportive therapy. There was no statistically significant difference in hearing loss between the dexamethasone-treated and the control group.

Congenital varicella syndrome.

The authors are reporting a typical case of congenital varicella syndrome following maternal varicella during the 17th week of pregnancy. At birth, the newborn showed necrotic bullae on the skin that healed later with characteristic scars. Other typical anomalies, i.