As expectant mothers, we’re often told to avoid certain things during pregnancy, such as cat litter, deli meats, and hot tubs, to name a few. However, there’s another virus that doctors don’t often talk about: cytomegalovirus, or CMV. CMV is the leading infectious cause of birth defects in the United States, but few pregnant women are aware of its potential harm. While most babies infected with the virus in the uterus will be unaffected, an estimated 400 infants die each year as a result of congenital CMV. Thousands of others develop hearing and vision loss, epilepsy, developmental delays, or microcephaly.
The tricky thing about CMV is that it’s prevalent in toddlers who attend day care centers. Toddlers can pick up the virus easily, and while they usually show no symptoms, they can shed the virus for months or even years. CMV can then be transmitted to pregnant women who come into contact with infected bodily fluids. While pregnant women infected with CMV don’t always pass it on to their babies, the risk of complications during fetal development is high.
Many experts advocate for educating pregnant women on how to reduce their risk of catching CMV during pregnancy, such as not sharing food or utensils with toddlers in day care, washing hands frequently, and avoiding kissing toddlers on the mouth. A study in Italy found that pregnant women who followed these guidelines reduced their risk of catching CMV by sixfold. However, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists doesn’t recommend telling patients about ways to reduce CMV risk, citing weak evidence and the potential harm of hygiene recommendations. But many CMV experts argue that women should have the choice to educate themselves on this virus and make decisions based on their own comfort level.
Prevention of CMV is of utmost importance because treatment options for infected fetuses are limited. The best antiviral against CMV is not considered safe during pregnancy, and another antiviral is not very potent. Antiviral therapy can help preserve hearing in infected infants with moderate to severe symptoms, but it can’t reverse brain damage. Because of this, policies on whether to screen all newborns for CMV vary widely. A vaccine for CMV has been deemed a high priority for many years, but progress has been slow.
In conclusion, while pregnant women are given plenty of advice on what to avoid during pregnancy, such as deli meat and hot tubs, few are educated on the risks of CMV. Pregnant women should have the choice to learn about and reduce their risk of catching this virus and potentially harming their developing fetus. Prevention is key because treatment options for infected infants are limited, and a CMV vaccine has yet to be developed.
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