A recent study examined the long-term consequences of this infection in children who survive it, revealing significant neurological sequelae.
- Neonatal listeriosis is a foodborne bacterial infection that can have serious consequences for pregnant women and fetuses.
- It is recommended to avoid, during pregnancy, raw milk cheeses, cold meats and uncooked catering preparations.
- “The sequelae of neonatal listeriosis are mainly due to prematurity rather than infection.”
Neonatal listeriosis is a foodborne bacterial infection that can have serious consequences for pregnant women and their babies. It can lead to miscarriage, premature birth or severe infection in the fetus. Symptoms of listeriosis in pregnant women may include fever, headache, muscle pain, and extreme fatigue. The repercussions can be serious on the health of affected children.
Long-term neurological consequences
A recent study by a team of scientists and doctors examined the long-term consequences of listeriosis. They followed a cohort of fifty children born to mothers who contracted listeriosis at different stages of pregnancy. The results of the study revealed that children born with the bacterial infection presented, at the age of 5, significant neurological sequelae. These after-effects include cognitive disorders, motor coordination problems, and visual or hearing deficits. These after-effects are mainly attributable to the prematurity of children.
“ We can now say that the after-effects of neonatal listeriosis are mainly due to prematurity rather than infection. These results will allow clinicians to provide parents of newborns with listeriosis with substantiated medical advice, and to inform them about the evolution of their child’s health.. They also call for the implementation of systematic and prolonged screening for possible after-effects in order to provide appropriate early care, accompanied by appropriate educational support. “, explains Caroline Charlier, researcher in the Biology of Infections unit (Institut Pasteur/Université Paris Cité/Inserm) and Professor of Infectious Diseases at Paris Cité University and Cochin Hospital, first author and coordinator of the study.
Dietary and hygienic vigilance is necessary
Around 40 newborns are affected each year in France by neonatal listeriosis. The results of this study demonstrate the importance of increased vigilance among pregnant women to avoid any risk of infection: “ Since 2009, we have been studying all strains of Listeria and all patients in France – listeriosis being a notifiable disease – in order to better understand the characteristics of this pathology. One of the questions that was asked was how children with neonatal listeriosis, and cured with antibiotics, grew and developed », explains Marc Lecuit, head of the National Reference Center Listeria and the Biology of Infections unit (Institut Pasteur/Université Paris Cité/Inserm), Professor of Infectious Diseases at the University Paris Cité and the Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, and co-principal author of the study.
It is therefore recommended that pregnant women avoid raw milk cheeses, cold meats and uncooked catering preparations, which are potential sources of contamination by Listeria bacteria. It is also essential to follow food hygiene rules and handle food properly to reduce the risk of infection.
