Congenital cytomegalovirus

Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) is not a rare virus, but little awareness of it exists. It has been referred to as an ‘intelligent’ or ‘stealth’ virus. It has evolved to pass unnoticed and often unknown, until it is too late. The charity CMV Action aims to shine a light on cCMV, to help reduce its potentially life-changing effects on newborn babies and children.

CMV is part of the herpes virus family and is incredibly common. Most people have had it without knowing or might have mistaken it for a mild cold or flu (NHS, 2023). However, if passed to an unborn baby, it can lead to cCMV, the most common infectious cause of birth defects (Dollard et al, 2007; Kenneson and Cannon, 2007).

As many as 1 in 200 newborn babies are born with cCMV (Kenneson and Cannon, 2007). The majority will not have any symptoms but around 1 in 1000 babies born in the UK every year will be severely impacted (Dollard et al, 2007), equivalent to approximately 900 children every year. The potential long-term health impacts include deafness, developmental delays and vision loss (Leruez-Ville et al, 2024). cCMV can also cause miscarriage and stillbirth. It is more common than Down's syndrome, spina bifida or cystic fibrosis (Dollard et al, 2007; Kenneson and Cannon, 2007; Townsend et al, 2011).