June is Congenital Cytomegalovirus Awareness Month
MADISON, Wis. – To keep Wisconsin families safe, UW Health Kids experts are working with state leaders to determine the best ways to prevent, screen and diagnose congenital cytomegalovirus, or cCMV, the most common viral infection that babies are born with in the United States.
Cytomegalovirus, or CMV, is a common virus that spreads between people through saliva and urine. If a pregnant woman is affected by the virus, it can be passed to the developing fetus. Most people have had it by the time they are five years old, and it presents in healthy adults and kids like a common cold or even without symptoms.
Beyond its typical symptoms, the virus is also the most common cause of non-genetic hearing loss in the U.S., according to Dr. Elizabeth Goetz, pediatrician, UW Health Kids, and medical director of the newborn nursery at UnityPoint Health – Meriter Hospital.
It is important to note that 90% of babies infected with cCMV will have no symptoms and never have any problem, but 10% show symptoms and can have hearing loss or go on to develop more serious developmental delays, she said.
“If we can identify the virus earlier, we have lots of opportunities to intervene and provide support services and treatment,” said Goetz, who is also a professor of pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. “Most people have heard of Zika virus, which is another viral infection that can impact a fetus, but cCMV is more common, and not as many people are aware.”
The virus impacts one in 200 children in the U.S., but Minnesota is the only state that currently tests for this condition in the newborn hospital screening, according to Dr. Julie Kessel, neonatologist, UW Health Kids and UnityPoint Health – Meriter.
A woman can be tested during pregnancy if there are concerns on ultrasounds, but the only way to know if the baby has cCMV is through an amniocentesis, which can be considered an invasive procedure with a needle going through the abdomen to collect fluid from the uterus, Kessel said.
Delayed growth of the fetus during pregnancy could also indicate cCMV. After a baby is born, a smaller head, lower blood platelet levels, jaundice or a failed newborn hearing test could indicate cCMV, according to Kessel.
“A small percentage of those newborns with no symptoms can go on to have hearing loss,” Kessel said. “Screenings would help catch those cases.”
UW Health is working with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, medical providers who care for newborns, and audiologists who treat hearing issues, on a project called WiSPER, or Wisconsin Screening Prevention and Early Recognition, which is trying to determine best practices to care for families in Wisconsin, according to Goetz.
We need input from key stakeholders to discuss the best practices for screening and reducing transmission, she said.
“It takes a lot of research and protocols to add another test to the newborn screening, so we are working to determine all the implications,” Goetz said. “New York and Connecticut have just started pilot screening projects. Our teams are working hard to start the conversation on this important newborn condition.”
Another important goal of the project is to raise awareness about the simple steps to prevent this virus. The biggest population of concern is pregnant women with young children at home who carry a lot of germs, but there are a few effective ways to help prevent transmission, according to Goetz.
“Do not share food, utensils, drinks or straws, do not put a pacifier in your mouth, avoid contact with saliva when kissing a child, do not share a toothbrush, and practice excellent hand hygiene, including washing hands before and after diaper changes and feedings,” she said. “These steps may seem simple, but they can go a long way to keep families safe.”
