What is Cytomegalovirus? Why should pregnant women be aware of it
The Cytomegalovirus is a virus that can be transmitted by body fluids such as urine or saliva. CMV will not cause more than a temporary headache or fever in people with a strong immune system. When a pregnant woman becomes infected, it can have far more serious consequences.
Even though a woman may not feel sick herself, the virus will infect the unborn child, causing permanent disabilities, such as hearing loss or intellectual disability.
Nearly 2,000 babies in Australia are born with CMV each year. Around 380 are born with disabilities that will last a lifetime, such as deafness or blindness.
About one-fifth of babies born with CMV in developed countries will be permanently disabled. CMV is the leading cause of disabilities in newborns born in developed countries.
Researchers do not know how CMV infects the developing child. They suspect that the virus from the blood of pregnant women infects cells in the placenta, where it multiplies and then enters into the circulation of the baby via the blood vessels in the placenta.
Researchers also don’t fully understand why CMV causes hearing loss or mental disability. CMV may directly damage and infect a portion of the inner ear. CMV may also infect neural stem cells, the building blocks for the developing brain. This infection could stop the brain cells from multiplying and dividing, which would affect the size and maturity of the baby’s mind. CMV infection of the placenta can also affect the proper development of the placenta. This can reduce oxygen and nutrients for the baby. This can cause brain abnormalities.
The majority of pregnant women do not know about the risks.
The majority of pregnant women do not know about CMV or the simple steps they can take in order to reduce their risk of contracting the virus.
In Canada, the US, and other countries, including France, Switzerland, Japan, the Netherlands, and Singapore, 61-87% percent of pregnant women had never heard of this virus. Although we haven’t done any studies yet to confirm it, we predict that pregnant women in Australia will also experience similar rates.
Except for those organized by community organizations, like in the US, UK, or Australia, there are no CMV campaigns that provide much-needed information to pregnant women about how to protect the baby from CMV.
Many pregnant women unknowingly put their babies at risk for CMV.
Compare this to the public’s awareness of other potentially dangerous infections during pregnancy, like Listeriosis, which is accompanied by the advice not to consume unpasteurized milk, raw fish, or raw meat, and Toxoplasmosis, which warns against contact with cat faeces.
In Australia, CMV has become more common among pregnant women than toxoplasmosis or listeriosis. Between 2001 and 2014, there were between 1 and 14 listeria infections confirmed in pregnant women every year. Between 2000 and 2010, there were only 2 cases of congenital toxoplasmosis. These statistics show that there is a need to raise public awareness about CMV during pregnancy.
Avoid CMV
CMV may soon be more widely known among pregnant women. Recent recommendations by an international team of CMV experts recommend that all pregnant women be told about CMV and what they can do to reduce their risk of contracting the virus.
Pregnant women can contract CMV through intimate contact with children. CMV can remain in the urine and saliva of children for several months, even though they may not show any symptoms.
