Congenital Mumps Pneumonia: a Rare Cause of Neonatal Respiratory Distress

ABSTRACT. A case of a full term infant with severe neonatal respiratory distress due to mumps infection is reported. Pregnancy was complicated by a self-limited febrile illness of the mother about two weeks before birth. Foetal heart rate patterns and delivery were normal. Immediately after birth the infant needed mechanical ventilation. Bacterial infections, as well as congenital cardiac or pulmonary malformations were excluded. The infant showed serologic evidence of mumps infection: IgM antibodies to mumps virus were highly positive. He expired on the 9th day of life due to bilateral pneumothoraces and pneumopericardium. Post-mortem examination showed interstitial pneumonia with intra-alveolar multinucleated giant cells, suggesting viral disease. This case demonstrates, that mumps pneumonia should be included in the differential diagnosis of severe neonatal respiratory distress in fullterm neonates.