CMV: The common disease that few pregnant women know about

A common act can spark a little known infection in pregnancy that can cause severe disability and developmental issues in babies.

Sloppy kisses from a toddler in early pregnancy can spark one of the most common but least known infections that can cause severe disability in babies.

Cytomegalovirus, or CMV, is a viral infection passed through bodily fluids. For healthy children and adults, the virus can present like a cold and is harmless. But if a pregnant woman is infected it can be passed to the unborn baby causing severe disabilities and developmental issues, even death.

CMV is linked to epilepsy, hearing loss, intellectual impairment and close to 10 per cent of cerebral palsy cases.

Lauren van Dalen with son Ezra. Picture: Richard Walker

Mango Hill mum Lauren Van Dalen was diagnosed with CMV when she was 20 weeks pregnant with baby Ezra who was born deaf and with developmental issues.

“I knew of all the usual things to be aware of in pregnancy but I had never heard of CMV. I had no idea. And when I heard it can be spread through runny noses or sloppy kisses from a child it was a shock. I have no idea how I caught the virus, I just thought I had a cold otherwise I would have been very careful. My older son Marcus was about 18 months when I was pregnant,” the mum said.

“Washing hands after wiping noses and being hyper careful with bodily fluids during the first trimester of pregnancy could have staved it off. I want to tell other mothers about this as I am sure many, like myself, have never heard of CMV,” she said.

Lauren was offered a termination when doctors realised that Ezra also had CMV but she refused and her little boy, now three, has been fitted with cochlear ear implants.

The Cerebral Palsy Alliance has joined forces with CMV Australia to bring attention to the

virus and more importantly, to encourage the community to take simple preventive

measures.

Dr Hayley Smithers-Sheedy, a Senior Research Fellow at Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Institute, The University of Sydney and expert in CMV said that she is aware expectant mothers can be overwhelmed by health messages.

“The most common thing families affected by CMV say to us is, ‘we wish we’d known’,” she said.

Researchers from The University of Sydney have found that only 10 per cent of maternity healthcare professionals regularly share information about CMV with women in their care.

How to avoid CMV

*Wash hands after changing nappies

*Avoid contact with saliva and kiss children on forehead instead of

lips

*Avoid putting dummy or toothbrush in your mouth

*Don’t share food, cutlery or utensils with babies

Originally published as CMV: The common disease that few pregnant women know about