Unknown or Negative status

It seems like, when you're pregnant, there are a million precautions you're told about to keep your baby safe: don't eat this, don't drink that, don't do this, don’t do that, etc. However, fewer than half of pregnant women are counseled about CMV by their OB/GYNs. Stop CMV can help educate you about this virus so that you can keep yourself and your baby healthy, and we can give you a foundation so that you can open a dialogue with your care provider about this often-ignored disease.

What is CMV?

CMV is a virus that can be transmitted to an unborn child from a pregnant mother experiencing a primary or recurrent CMV infection. CMV can cause serious disease in babies who were infected with CMV before birth (referred to as congenital CMV). Children born with congenital CMV may develop permanent medical conditions and disabilities, such as deafness, blindness, cerebral palsy, mental and physical disabilities, seizures, and death.

A person who has not been exposed to CMV can become infected when they come into contact with infected body fluids, including urine, saliva, blood, mucus, and tears. CMV is very common among healthy children 1 to 3 years of age who are at high risk for contracting CMV from their peers. Contact with the saliva or urine of young children is a major cause of CMV infection among pregnant women.

Can I be tested for CMV?

Many practitioners will not typically test for CMV during pregnancy and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) do not recommend routine maternal screening for CMV infection during pregnancy because there is no test that can definitively rule out primary CMV infection during pregnancy. Occasionally the need for CMV testing arises when abnormalities that may be caused by CMV or other infectious diseases are seen on ultrasound. If a CMV infection is detected during pregnancy, amniocentesis is an option during which a doctor obtains and examines a sample of amniotic fluid to determine whether the baby has congenital CMV.

How can I prevent CMV during pregnancy?

If you are aware that you have CMV negative status or you are unsure of your CMV status, you should learn the basic steps that can help you to reduce your risk of exposure to CMV during your pregnancy:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for 15-20 seconds, especially after changing diapers, feeding a young child, wiping a young child's nose or drool, and handling children's toys
• Do not share food, drinks, or eating utensils used by young children
• Do not put a child's pacifier in your mouth
• Do not share a toothbrush with a young child
• Avoid contact with saliva when kissing a child
• Clean toys, countertops, and other surfaces that come into contact with children's urine or saliva

Why hasn't my OB told me about this?

This could be due to the perceived rarity of congenital CMV cases, the lack of congenital CMV diagnoses within their practice due to the lack of testing, or just a simple oversight.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that OB/GYNs counsel women on basic prevention measures to guard against CMV. But according to a 2007 survey, fewer than half (44%) of OB/GYNs reported counseling their patients about preventing CMV.

Stop CMV understands how difficult it may be to adjust ones daily routine while pregnant, especially for mothers and those women who work as child care providers, daycare workers, nurses, teachers, and therapists. However, it is important for these messages to be communicated to pregnant women and those planning future pregnancies in order to inform and empower them to take a more active role in their personal hygiene and healthcare decisions.