[A historical birth tragedy. Neonatal infections still of interest today as they were 300 years ago].
Neonatal bacterial infections are still important causes of perinatal mortality and morbidity, as they were 300 years ago. Queen Anne (1655-1714) underwent 18 pregnancies without producing any successors, probably because the children died of perinatal infection. Some women are unable to produce a specific IgG-antibody against Group B streptococcus (GBS). They may have normal IgM production and are thereby self-protected, while their infants risk developing neonatal GBS septicaemia. Listeria monocytogenes may cause repeated miscarriages, stillbirths and neonatal infections and, even today, is an important cause of perinatal deaths. The miscarriages and neonatal deaths of Queen Anne are believed to have been caused by an asymptomatic listeria monocytogenes infection. The importance of recognizing women at risk for these types of infections is discussed.