OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical manifestations and laboratory examination characteristics of neonatal dengue fever.

METHODA retrospective analysis of 12 cases of neonatal dengue fever treated in the Guangdong Women and Children's Hospital and Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center was conducted, and related literature was reviewed.

RESULTTwelve cases of neonatal dengue fever included 9 males and 3 females; their age was 30 min after birth to 29 d, the age of onset was 30 min-24 d. (1) CLINICAL FEATURES: fever was present in 11 cases, rash in 6 cases, bleeding in 1 case, jaundice in 5 cases, cough in 1 case, coagulopathy in 2 cases. (2) Mothers' perinatal conditions: 7 mothers were confirmed to have dengue fever, 2 mothers had suspected dengue fever, and in 3 mothers the dengue fever was excluded. Eight mothers prenatally had fever. (3) LABORATORY TESTS: Thrombocytopenia was found in 11 cases (19×10(9)-156×10(9)/L), activated partial thromboplastin time prolonged in 11 cases (44.0-89.8 s), fibrinogen decreased in 5 cases (1.17-3.02 g/L), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) increased in 5 cases (28-78 U/L), creatine kinase (CK-MB) increased in 4 cases (13-86 U/L), hypokalemia in 1 case (2.8-5.1 mmol/L ), C- reactive protein (CRP) increased in 6 cases (0.04-46.05 mg/L). (4) Treatment and prognosis: platelet transfusion was used in 2 cases, anti-infective therapy was given to 6 cases, intravenous gamma globulin treatment was used in 5 cases, hospitalization was 4-17 d, 10 cases were cured, 2 cases were discharged after condition was improved. Literature search was performed with "neonatal dengue" as keywords at Wanfang, Weipu, and CNKI, no relevant reports were found. Pubmed search was done with "neonatal dengue" and "case report" as keywords, 15 reports were retrieved during 1990 and 2014, which reported 30 cases, all acquired the disease via vertical transmission; the main clinical manifestations were fever, rash, petechiae, anemia, jaundice, tachycardia, and hepatomegaly; laboratory test: all had visible purpura due to thrombocytopenia; anti-infective treatment, platelet transfusion and symptomatic treatment were given, and all the 30 cases of infants were cured.

CONCLUSIONThe clinical manifestations of neonatal dengue fever are characterized by fever and the disorder of blood coagulation system. The course of disease is mild, lack of specific clinical symptoms, and the prognosis is good. Mother to infant vertical transmission of dengue virus is one of the ways of transmission.