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The occurrence and symptomatology of rotavirus infections was studied at three maternity wards and one neonatal unit. Rotavirus was identified in 12.7% of 553 infants and 1.3% of 542 mothers at the maternity wards. Infections were more frequent in a mixed obstetric/gynecology ward than in the pure obstetric wards. Only 10% of the infants had symptomatic infections. Subgroups of rotavirus was determined in 41 infants: 22 of subgroup I and 19 of subgroup II, which is the subgroup accounting for the majority of childhood gastroenteritis. Rotavirus was found in faecal samples from 37% of the infants at the neonatal unit during an eight-month survey. A seasonal variation with most infections during colder months was seen. Subgroup determination was possible in 29 cases, 14 subgroup I and 15 subgroup II. Fifteen per cent of the infections demonstrated diarrheal symptoms. No significant difference among other clinical data registered was seen among rotavirus infected compared to the non-infected infants. We conclude that neonatal rotavirus infections occur as an endemic infection at our maternity wards possibly combined with infections due to external sources of virus in mixed wards and neonatal units.

4 382 new mothers were examined retrospectively with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for IgG activity to cytomegalovirus (CMV) during pregnancy. Some of them were also studied with the indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) test for CMV-IgM antibodies. All the infants had been studied for CMV excretion within the first week of life. Nineteen of them had been shown to be congenitally infected with CMV. 1 218 (28%) women lacked CMV-IgG activity at their first antenatal visit (usually in months III-IV). Fourteen of them seroconverted before parturition (primary infection). Thirteen of the seroconverters were shown to develop CMV-IgM activity. In 6 (43%) cases the primary infection was transmitted to the offspring. The remaining 13 congenitally infected infants were born to mothers with a positive IgM-test at their first antenatal control. Only one of these mothers had a clearly positive IgM-test. She was shown to lack CMV-antibodies before conception (primary infection during the first trimester). Preconceptional sera were obtained from further 4 of the 13 seropositive mothers of congenitally infected infants; all 4 had CMV antibodies before pregnancy (secondary infection during pregnancy). The combined studies of the mothers and infants revealed that 21-63% of the congenital infections could have been caused by secondary maternal infections. Prospectively performed, the study would only have disclosed one of the three fetal CMV infections that resulted in neurological sequelae.

Chlamydia trachomatis was isolated from 2.4% of 1 328 puerperal women. The frequency was highest in the age group below 20 years and thereafter decreased with increasing age. Chlamydial conjunctivitis was confirmed in 0.4% of the infants. Two additional cases of conjunctivitis occurred among the exposed infants but chlamydia cultures were not obtained. In a separate ophthalmological material of neonatal conjunctivitis a third of the cases developing within the first month of life was associated with chlamydia. The early and sharp incidence peak for chlamydial conjunctivitis suggested that transmission occurred at delivery. No cases of chlamydial pneumonia were noted. Peroral chemotherapy is recommended in infants for systemic eradication of C. trachomatis.