Clinically relevant DNA viruses in pregnancy.

Infections by DNA viruses during pregnancy are associated with increased health risks to both mother and fetus. Although not all DNA viruses are related to an increased risk of complications during pregnancy, several can directly infect the fetus and/or cause placental dysfunction. During Non‐Invasive Prenatal Testing analysis, the presence of viral DNA can be detected, theoretically allowing screening early in pregnancy. Although treatment options are currently limited, this might rapidly change in the near future. It is therefore important to be aware of the potential impact of these viruses on feto‐maternal health. In this manuscript we provide a brief introduction into the most commonly detected DNA viruses in human cell‐free DNA sequencing experiments and their pathogenic potential during pregnancy. Key points: What's already known about this topic? Viral DNA can occasionally be detected from Non‐Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) sequencing data, which holds potential for NIPT‐based screening for viral infections. For some DNA viruses, such as Cytomegalovirus and Parvovirus B19, the risks they pose during pregnancy are well established, for others their involvement in certain conditions is proposed but evidence is inconclusive. What does this study add? This study provides a review of clinically relevant human DNA viruses and their impact on infection related fetal and maternal health during pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]