According to a new study published in the April 14, 2010 Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), when samples were routinely collected from newborns in the US to screen for a virus known as cytomegalovirus (CMV), the DNA analysis did not effectively identify the infection.
What is Cytomegalovirus (CMV)?
Few people today have heard of the virus found in the chicken pox family known as CMV. Other viruses in the same family include herpes and mononucleosis (Epstein-Barr). Just like herpes and other related viruses, once someone has had the CMV virus, it remains dormant in the body for life.
CMV is found in bodily fluids including saliva, blood, breastmilk, tears, urine, vaginal secretions and semen. Approximately 80% of people have had the CMV virus by the time they reach adulthood.
Adults with CMV
In healthy adults or even older children, CMV may be a "silent infection" since there are typically no detectable symptoms. Occasionally, CMV may present symptoms that resemble a flu, such as fever and fatigue.
In adults or children who have a weakened immune system (such as people with HIV or certain types of cancer), a cytomegalovirus infection can cause serious illness including severe eye infections leading to blindness as well as pneumonia.
Newborns and CMV
One of the dangers to newborns is that CMV can be passed from an infected mother to her baby during pregnancy. In fact, about one third of mothers who get CMV for the first time during pregnancy will pass it on to their babies in utero.
If a baby is exposed to cytomegalovirus during pregnancy, it can lead to severe congenital disabilities including cerebral palsy, visual impairment, microcephaly (small head size), seizure disorder and IUGR (intra-uterine growth restriction). In fact, CMV is also the leading non-genetic cause for deafness in newborns.
Even though some of these physical disabilities will be noticeable, as many as 90% of newborns will not initially show any signs of a congenital CMV infection, thus making newborn screening for CMV a challenge.
Newborn Testing for CMV
Currently all newborns in the US are tested for cytomegalovirus using a dried blood sample shortly after birth. However, researchers have found that when compared to a saliva culture, the blood test missed approximately two thirds of the newborns with CMV.
According to the researchers from the University of Alabama, the need to replace the current DNA blood testing with saliva testing or other specimens is paramount. Between 20,000-40,000 newborns each year are born with congenital CMV; however, most of these babies will be missed using the current screening methods. The sooner babies with congenital CMV are identified, the earlier they can be monitored for early intervention, primarily for speech and language development.
Protecting Yourself From CMV During Pregnancy
It is not likely to get cytomegalovirus from casual contact; however, a pregnant woman can get CMV from close contact with bodily fluids from an infected person.
Practice good hygiene during pregnancy with frequent hand washing to reduce the spread of CMV. Experts recommend counting from 15-20 seconds with each hand washing.
To reduce the risk of getting CMV during pregnancy or at any time of life, the CDC also advises not to kiss children under five or six on the mouth or cheeks, but rather to kiss them on the forehead. Sharing foods, drinks or utensils with young children should also be discouraged to reduce spread of CMV.
References:
"Universal screening test for CMV infection in not effective, says study," Medical News, April 15, 2010.
Cytomegalovirus, JAMA pamphlet, April 14, 2010.
About CMV, Centers for Disease Control, DHHS.
"What Women Should Know about Cytomegalovirus," Centers for Disease Control pamphlet.
Brenda Lane - Brenda Lane is a published author, Lamaze certified childbirth educator, DONA certified birth doula and approved birth doula trainer.
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