The purpose of the study is to summarize the literature data on the state of intrauterine infections that cause antenatal fetal abnormalities.
Materials and methods: This article presents the assessment of 25 world literature sources from 2000 to 2016, which discuss the etiology of infectious agents acting on the fetus and causing a variety of pathological conditions.
Results: During gestation many researchers refer to the infection as one of the causes of antenatal fetal abnormalities. The etiology of intrauterine infection is diverse and differs between countries with different economic conditions. Detection of an infectious agent makes it possible to promptly carry out preventive measures, to improve hygiene standards in order to reduce the rate of infection transmission from mother to fetus.
Conclusion: Timely detection of the etiology of intrauterine infections promotes the identification of high-risk groups giving a possibility to provide treatment in order to prevent the transmission of an infectious agent having direct economic benefits, especially in resource-poor countries with low and middle income.
Keywords: antenatal abnormalities; bacterial infections; intrauterine infection; stillbirth; viral infections.