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Parvovirus B19 was identified in 1975. It causes infections megalerythemia in adults associated with skin eruptions and joint pain (about 50% of the adult population is immunized). The risk of contamination in case of an epidemia is high in school teachers and school personnel. In 1984, the parvovirus B19 was implicated as the cause of fetal anasarca. The risk of transplacental contamination is estimated at 33% in case of maternal infection. Pregnant women with parvovirus B19 infection and confirmed serology should have an echography every 15 days. Fetal anasarca can be complicated by in utero fetal death related to erythroid stem-cell anaemia. The diagnosis of fetal infection is based on PCR techniques on fetal blood. Symptomatic antenatal treatment with in utero transfusion was proposed as early as 1988. This method does not however appear to be necessary in all cases as the outcome in several reports of untreated fetuses was delivery of a normal child. There is the possibility of myocardial damage caused by parvovirus B19 which would make in utero transfusion difficult and limit its beneficial effect. Finally associated thrombopenia is often severe and increased fetal risk.

Two cases of maternal-fetal human parvovirus B19 infection are reported. The first case involved a feto-placental anasarca occurring during the third trimester and complicated by in-utero death with expulsion of a fetus with multiple malformations. The second case involved meconial peritonitis during the second trimester with favourable outcome after cesarean section and resolution of the digestive syndrome. Proof of PV B19 infection was obtained by identifying M specific immunoglobulins and viral DNA. After a review of the clinical situations most often encountered and the particular features of these two cases, therapeutic attitudes are proposed for this infection of major gravity during pregnancy.