Mommyato Blog | CMV and Congenital Hearing Loss: Minimizing Your Baby’s Risk

17 Jun CMV and Congenital Hearing Loss: Minimizing Your Baby’s Risk

Posted at 14:05h in Cytomegalovirus, Medical Concerns, Pregnancy by Mommyato

One in three children are infected with CMV by age 5 – and – half of adults have CMV by age 40.¹

This June we’re bringing awareness to the Cytomegalovirus (CMV), a very common virus in the Herpes family, that can cause congenital problems in an unborn baby and serious health problems in newborns. Getting educated on the signs of CMV in babies can help reduce long term issues by getting treatment early.

What is Cytomegalovirus (CMV)?

CMV is a very common virus that spreads through body fluids – saliva, tears, urine, semen, blood, and breastmilk. Consequently, young children are common vectors of CMV and 1 in 3 children contract CMV by age 5.¹

Once you have CMV it stays in your body forever, but a healthy immune system usually keeps it from showing any symptoms (signs) of the disease. You can also become re-infected with different strains (types) of CMV at various stages of life, even during pregnancy. Half of adults have CMV by age 40!¹

Pregnant women can pass CMV to their unborn babies since the virus travels through the blood and passes through the placenta. You can pass the virus through breast milk as well, but the virus usually does not cause problems for most babies, especially those who are born fully mature and healthy. If your baby is very premature or has a weakened immune system, you’ll want to check with your doctor before breastfeeding, especially with any donor milk that could be infected with CMV. Screening donor milk for viruses is always a good idea.

If you are pregnant, have other young children, or work with babies and children, you’ll want to take special care to prevent infection. Since CMV travels through body fluids, be sure to:

have protected sex if you have multiple partners
use gloves when changing diapers (in daycares) or wash your hands afterwards if it’s your own baby’s diapers
wash your hands after touching saliva, tears, or mucous
don’t share children’s cups, utensils or food (or your baby’s pacifier!).²

What are the Signs of CMV and Congenital Hearing Loss?

A small percentage of babies are born with birth defects as a result of CMV. These babies can be born with damaged eye retinas, have a smaller than average head size (microcephaly), and have low birth weight. Most healthy newborns don’t show signs of CMV. But, sometimes an infant can develop a rash, jaundice (yellowing of the whites of the eyes or skin), enlarged liver and spleen, and seizures.²

Even without these signs of CMV, congenital hearing loss is unfortunately common. Symptoms of hearing loss can be mild to severe and progress over the first two years of life. So, it’s important to seek medical care early if you suspect your baby has hearing loss.

Be on the lookout for these signs of hearing loss in babies:

does not startle at loud noises
does not turn toward source of sound (after 6 months old)
does not use single words by 1 year old
turns head if sees you but not when you call name
hears some sounds but not others.²

Signs of hearing loss in children:

delayed speech
speech is not clear
child indicates he doesn’t understand “What? Huh?”
child turns up volume on TV and electronics.²

The first two years of a child’s life are critical for language and social development. Early healthcare interventions like prescription antivirals and occupational/speech therapies can help your child reach her maximum potential in life. Visit Mommyato for more information on your newborn health.