Awareness of and behaviors related to child-to-mother transmission of cytomegalovirus

Abstract

Objective-Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a common cause of hearing loss and intellectual disability. We assessed CMV knowledge and the frequency of women's behaviors that may enable CMV transmission to inform strategies for communicating prevention messages to women. Results-Only 7% of men and 13% of women had heard of congenital CMV. Women with children under age 19 (n=918) practiced the following risk behaviors at least once per week while their youngest child was still in diapers: kissing on the lips (69%), sharing utensils (42%), sharing cups (37%), and sharing food (62%). Women practiced protective, hand cleansing behaviors most of the time or always after: changing a dirty diaper (95%), changing a wet diaper (85%), or wiping the child's nose (65%), but less commonly after handling the child's toys (26%). Methods-WeConclusions-Few women are aware of CMV and most regularly practice behaviors that may place them at risk when interacting with young children. Women should be informed of practices that can reduce their risk of CMV infection during pregnancy.

Vaccine-Derived Neutralizing Antibodies to the Human Cytomegalovirus gH/gL Pentamer Potently Block Primary Cytotrophoblast Infection

“…The annual numbers of HCMV-infected infants at birth based on viral shedding range from 35,000 in Brazil to 40,000 in the United States and 250,000 in India (5). In fact, persistent newborn medical conditions are more frequently associated with congenital HCMV infection than with other wellknown childhood diseases such as trisomy 21, spina bifida, or fetal-alcohol syndrome (2,4,(7)(8)(9)(10). Besides its leading role in permanent birth defects, HCMV is also a major cause of morbidity and mortality in hematopoietic stem cell and solid organ transplant recipients (11)(12)(13).…”

Analysis of risk factors associated to cytomegalovirus infection in dentistry students.

“…Future vaccine or educational campaigns to prevent primary infection in pregnant women may need to be tailored to suit the needs of specific populations, such as health care workers. Despite the frequency of congenital CMV infection and the serious consequences that may result from it, a large proportion of the population is not aware of the impact of this infection 18 . In fact, most gynecologists do not counsel women regarding congenital CMV infection 19 ; nevertheless, most women are receptive to informative messages about prevention of this infection.…”

Congenital cytomegalovirus infection: Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention

“…[64,65]. Поэтому важным является широкое распространение в общедоступных источниках информации о профи-лактике этого заболевания у беременных женщин.…”