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For more information about CMV, please visit: "According to Dr. Gail Demmler of the National CMV Registry at Baylor College of Medicine, CMV is the most common congenital viral infection in this country. Each year in the United States, 30,000 to 40,000 infants are born prenatally infected with the disease, meaning that the virus was transmitted from mother to unborn baby. This constitutes approximately 1% of all babies born in this country. Of these infected newborns, 3,000 to 4,000 are symptomatic at birth and up to 10% of this group die. An additional 4,500 to 6,000 babies with Congenital CMV, while seemingly without health problems at birth, go on to develop significant disabilities as they grow into early childhood. "Researchers have now determined that Congenital CMV is the most common infectious cause of mental retardation in the United States. It leads to more cases of mental disability each year than does the much better-known Down Syndrome. Additionally, CMV holds another dubious distinction as the leading cause of non-hereditary, sensorineural deafness. It is thought to be a leading cause of deafness overall. Other common sequelae of Congenital CMV include blindness, intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), jaundice, pneumonia, microcephaly and numerous others." Cytomegalovirus, or CMV, is found universally throughout all geographic locations and socioeconomic groups, and infects between 50% and 85% of adults in the United States by 40 years of age. CMV is also the virus most frequently transmitted to a developing child before birth. CMV infection is important to certain high-risk groups. Major areas of concern are (1) the risk of infection to the unborn baby during pregnancy, (2) the risk of infection to people who work with children, and (3) the risk of infection to the immunocompromised person, such as organ transplant recipients and persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Transmission CMV can be transmitted to the unborn child of a mother with a primary or a recurrent CMV infection. When a baby catches CMV prior to birth it is known as a congenital CMV infection. Approximately 90% of all infants who are infected with CMV prior to delivery are born without symptoms of the virus; however, the remaining 10% will have varying degrees of abnormalities. Transmission of the virus is often preventable because it is most often transmitted through infected bodily fluids that come in contact with hands and then are absorbed through the nose or mouth of a susceptible person. Therefore, care should be taken when handling children and items like diapers. Simple hand washing with soap and water is effective in removing the virus from the hands. Effects on Pregnancy The incidence of primary (or first) CMV infection in pregnant women in the United States varies from 1% to 3%. Healthy pregnant women are not at special risk for disease from CMV infection. When infected with CMV, most women have no symptoms and very few have a disease resembling mononucleosis. It is their developing unborn babies that may be at risk for congenital CMV disease. CMV remains the most important cause of congenital (meaning from birth) viral infection in the United States. For infants who are infected by their mothers before birth, two potential problems exist: 1) Generalized infection may occur in the infant, and symptoms may range from moderate enlargement of the liver and spleen (with jaundice) to fatal illness. With supportive treatment most infants with CMV disease usually survive. However, from 80% to 90% will have complications within the first few years of life that may include hearing loss, vision impairment, and varying degrees of mental retardation. 2) Another 5% to 10% of infants who are infected but without symptoms at birth will subsequently have varying degrees of hearing and mental or coordination problems. Recommendations for Pregnant Women 1) Throughout pregnancy, practice good personal hygiene, especially handwashing with soap and water, after contact with diapers or oral secretions (particularly with a child who is in day care). 2) Women who develop a mononucleosis-like illness during pregnancy should be evaluated for CMV infection and counseled about the possible risks to the unborn child. 3) Laboratory testing for antibody to CMV can be performed to determine if a women has already had CMV infection. Recommendations for Those who Work with Infants and Children Most healthy people working with infants and children face no special risk from CMV infection. However, for women of child-bearing age who previously have not been infected with CMV, there is a potential risk to the developing unborn child. Contact with children who are in day care, where CMV infection is commonly transmitted among young children (particularly toddlers), may be a source of exposure to CMV. Since CMV is transmitted through contact with infected body fluids, including urine and saliva, child care providers (meaning day care workers, special education teachers, therapists, as well as mothers) should be educated about the risks of CMV infection and the precautions they can take. Our thoughts on CMV: These past few months since Riley and Rachel's birth, we have learned far more about the human body than we have ever wanted to know. We never had hoped to concern ourselves with things relating to child development, especially disability. A whole new vocabulary has been thrust upon us and we, like many other CMV parents, have spent countless hours at doctors appointments, speaking with specialists and researching, trying to find any answers we can. And what we have learned is that there simply are very few answers... Adding insult to injury are the contagion issues surrounding CMV. Those who are born with congenital CMV continually "shed" the virus for the first years of life, much like those who have a cold or flu have a few days to get over it entirely. Riley and Rachel undergo routine testing to determine how much CMV is still in their system. Their immunity is also tested and we believe strongly that both our girls will fight this virus within the next year, without need for any experimental anti-viral treatments (ie Gancyclovir). Like many others affected by CMV, we have experienced unfounded discrimination and misinformation from friends, family and others. We hope that people will educate themselves and realize that the only true threat that CMV poses is to pregnant women and those who are immunocompromised or those with organ transplants. We are contemplating future projects that we can be involved in that will hopefully educate those at highest risk for CMV. No matter how "rare" congenital CMV may be, simple precautions, such as hand washing, during pregnancy can save families from the pain and confusion surrounding this virus. 
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