A Meta-Analysis on the Correlation Between Herpes Simplex Virus Type II Infection and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in China

Abstract

Objective: To systematically evaluate the relationship between herpes simplex virus type II (HSV-2) infection in pregnant women and the adverse pregnancy outcomes (preterm delivery, spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, monstrum, low birth weight, intrauterine growth retardation, premature rupture of membranes), so as to provide clinical guidance for the prevention and treatment of adverse pregnancy outcomes caused by HSV-2 infection in pregnant women. Methods: 2140 articles were collected from PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and other databases for the past 20 years. According to the inclusion criteria, the literatures about the relationship between HSV-2 infection of pregnant women and adverse pregnancy outcomes were screened. The effect model was determined by heterogeneity test results, and the meta-analysis was carried out by RevMan 5.3 software. Results: The results of meta-analysis showed that the positive rate of HSV-2 was higher in the adverse pregnancy group than in the control group (odds ratio [OR]: 7.92, 95% confidence interval [Cl]: 3.91–16.01), and the difference was statistically significant. Conclusion: HSV-2 infection will increase the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Prevention and effective control of HSV-2 infection in early pregnancy can reduce the rate of adverse pregnancy outcome, which is of great significance to the promotion of eugenics.