7/18/23, 11:12 AM Babies Born with Congenital CMV | CDC

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Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Congenital CMV Infection

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Congenital CMV Infection Home

Babies Born with Congenital CMV

When a baby is born with cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, it is called congenital CMV. Most babies with congenital CMV
never show signs or have health problems. However, some babies have health problems at birth or that develop later.

Signs and Symptoms

Some babies with congenital CMV

infection have signs at birth, such as:

Rash
Jaundice (yellowing of the skin or
whites of the eyes)
Microcephaly (small head)
Low birth weight
Hepatosplenomegaly (enlarged
liver and spleen)
Seizures
Retinitis (damaged eye retina)

Some babies with signs of congenital

CMV infection at birth can have long-
term health problems, such as:

Hearing loss
Developmental and motor delay
Vision loss
Microcephaly (small head)
Seizures

Some babies can have hearing loss at birth or can develop it later, even babies who passed the newborn hearing test or
didn’t have any other sings at birth.

CMV is the most common infectious cause of birth defects in the United States. About 1 out of 200 babies is born
with congenital CMV.

One out of 5 babies with congenital CMV will have symptoms or long-term health problems, such as hearing loss.

In the most severe cases, CMV can cause pregnancy loss.

How Does CMV Spread

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7/18/23, 11:12 AM Babies Born with Congenital CMV | CDC

Most people with CMV infection have no symptoms

and aren’t aware that they have been infected. If you
are pregnant and get infected with CMV, you can pass
the virus to your baby during pregnancy. This can
happen when you are infected with CMV for the first
time or again during pregnancy.

Young children are a common source of CMV.

By the age of 5 years, one in three children has been

infected with CMV, but usually does not have
symptoms. The virus can stay in a child’s body fluids
like saliva and urine for months after the infection.
People who are around young children a lot are at
greater risk of CMV infection.

Parents and childcare providers can lower their risk of getting CMV by reducing contact with saliva (spit) and urine from
babies and young children.

Do not share food, utensils, or cups with a child.

Wash your hands with soap and water after changing diapers or helping a child to use the toilet.

Diagnosis

Congenital CMV infection can be diagnosed by testing a newborn baby’s urine (preferred specimen), saliva, or blood.
These specimens must be collected for testing within 2 to 3 weeks after the baby is born to confirm a diagnosis of
congenital CMV infection.

Treatment

For babies with signs of congenital CMV infection at birth, antiviral medications (primarily valganciclovir) might improve
hearing and developmental outcomes. Valganciclovir can have serious side effects and has only been studied in babies
with signs of congenital CMV infection. There is limited information on the effectiveness of valganciclovir to treat infants
with hearing loss alone.

Last Reviewed: May 27, 2022

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