Intrauterine Transmission of Cytomegalovirus to Infants of Women with Preconceptional Immunity

Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a leading cause of brain damage and sensorineural hearing loss in children in the United States. 1 – 3 Unlike preconceptional immunity against rubella or toxoplasmosis, preconceptional immunity against CMV provides only partial protection from intrauterine transmission of the virus, 2 , 4 , 5 and a substantial proportion of congenital CMV infections occur in the offspring of women with preconceptional immunity. 6 – 8 It has been suggested that symptomatic congenital infection and permanent neurologic deficits are rare in the infants of women with preconceptional immunity, 2 , 4 , 5 but these outcomes may in fact be more common than previously thought. 7 , . . .