Cytomegalovirus, or CMV, is a very common group of viruses that form part of the herpes virus family.
It is a cause for concern because there is no treatment for the infection and it can be present without symptoms. But while there are genuine concerns associated with a CMV infection, they may be in fact overstated, because the risk of contracting the virus during pregnancy is low.
Ninety five percent (19 in 20) people who are infected with the cytomegalovirus show no signs of symptoms. This makes it very difficult for doctors to detect the presence of the infection. The remaining five percent display symptoms that closely resemble mononucleosis, with patients showing signs of fatigue, fever, enlarged lymph nodes, muscle pain and a sore throat. These flu-like symptoms can last anywhere from one week to two months. Because there is no treatment, and the risk of contracting the virus is low, most doctors do not screen for the presence of cytomegalovirus.
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About eighty percent (4 in 5) of people are immune to cytomegalovirus, having already contracted the infection. The remaining twenty percent (1 in 5) are only at risk if they are suffering from a lowered immune system, such as during pregnancy. But in fact the risk of contracting the virus, which is usually transmitted by infected children, is low (about one percent of babies are born with the infection). And the risk of contracting the virus can be further reduced if proper hygiene is followed: simply wash your hands and avoid contact with saliva when around those who are infected.
If a cytomegalovirus is contracted during early pregnancy, the development of the baby can be affected. Complications include low birth weight, microcephalyTerm used to describe a congenital birth defect that results in the baby having an unusually small head and some degree of mental retardation.
A microcephalic head is more than two standard deviations below average circumference for age, sex, race and gestational age.
Causes include an autosomal recessive disorder, chromosomal abnormality, or some toxic stimulus. Other causes include maternal infection or trauma, especially during the third trimester.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions. (small head), internal skull calcification, anemia and jaundiceThe yellow staining of the skin, mucus membranes and sclerae of the eyes, caused by excessive quantities of bilirubin in the blood.
Jaundice may cause nausea, vomitting and abdominal pain, as well as unusually dark urine.
Jaundice is a symptom of many disorders including liver disease, biliary obstruction and hemolytic anemias. Newborn babies often develop physiological jaundice which disappears after a few days.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions., mental and motor retardation, enlarged spleen, and vision problems.
If the infection is contracted later in pregnancy the baby can be born with a congenital cytomegalovirus infection. About one percent (1 in 100) infants are affected, but of those only two to four percent (1 or 2 in 50) develop a severe form of the disease: that's about 1 or 2 in every 5,000 babies. Babies who develop a severe CMV infection may suffer from hearing or vision problems, mental or motor retardation, and developmental or behavioral problems.
There is no treatment for cytomegalovirus infections.
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