Cytomegalovirus is a member of the Herpes family. It is a normally harmless virus resulting in cold like symptoms that usually resolves within a few weeks and then remains dormant in the body. According to the CDC 50-80% of the US population become infected with the virus by the time they reach the age of 40. CMV can be dangerous in patients that are immunocompromised such as patients that were recent transplant recipients, HIV/Aids , Chemotherapy ect. The Virus is also dangerous for babies infected with the virus in utero, this is known as Congenital CMV.
Congenital CMV is passed from mother to child through the placenta. This virus is not part of routine testing during pregnancy so it is often overlooked and only noticed when the baby presents certain signs/symptoms after birth. Congenital CMV can cause birth defects, and developmental disabilities. Congenital CMV is only a risk for mothers who have a primary infection during pregnancy (if you were infected with CMV prior to pregnancy you are not and risk for passing it to your child).
1 in every 150 pregnancy will result in a baby born with congenital CMV. That is a really high number. And not enough women are informed, because of the 30,000 babies born anually with CMV 1 in 5 of them will have permanent health problems, and 400 infant deaths will result from those problems. More children will have disabilities caused by congenital CMV than other well known conditions such as spina bifida, down syndrome, and HIV/AIDS.
90% of babies born with Congenital CMV will not present symptoms at birth. The only test available to test newborns for Congenital CMV has to be done within 2-3 weeks of the baby’s birth. That is such a small window especially if your baby appears to be healthy. Any test after that cannot exactly determine whether it was acquired at birth or after birth or if the mother simply passed the antibodies through breast milk. Health problems caused by congenital CMV can present themselves 2-3 years after the child is born.
Babies born with CMV infection can experience hearing loss, vision loss, learning problems, sleep or behavior issues, seizures, feeding issues/failure to thrive, ect.
CMV is completely preventable, it is passed through saliva and urine. Making it common to pass at home, school, and daycare settings. Avoid sharing food utensils, drinks or straws, do not put pacifiers in your mouth (as mothers we sometimes do this to clean the pacifier when it falls on the floor), avoid contact with saliva when kissing you other children, do not share toothbrushes, and wash your hands after handling any possible contaminants. Request the CMV screen during your pregnancy and if you test positive for a primary infection during pregnancy request an amniocentesis. Due to recent studies CMV IGIV can reduce the risk of you passing the virus to your unborn child.
Women become informed you are in control of you and your child’s health , become involved and pro active fight the fight for you child spread the word to other mothers, educate caregivers you may encounter spread the word do not stay silent. This is such a common virus and many won’t know about it until they are affected by it and by then it’s to late.
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