Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) is a common viral infection that can have serious health effects for children if not detected early including hearing loss in about 20% of diagnosed cases.
Minnesota, in mid-western United States has expanded its newborn screening program to detect more conditions that can benefit from early intervention. Congenital cytomegalovirus becomes the newest addition to the more than 60 conditions for which newborns are screened.
Congenital cytomegalovirus is the most common viral infection in newborns. It occurs when the infection is passed from a pregnant person to their unborn baby and can cause a range of problems, including hearing loss. It’s estimated that up to 300 babies out of 65,000 born each year in Minnesota will have cCMV.
“Adding congenital cytomegalovirus to our newborn screening program is a big advance in protecting and improving the health of all Minnesota children,” said Minnesota Commissioner of Health Dr. Brooke Cunningham. “Parents of children at risk for permanent hearing loss will receive early support that can help them prevent potential developmental delays.”
Most babies with cCMV have no symptoms of the disease at birth and are not expected to develop symptoms. However, about 20% of babies diagnosed with cCMV will have symptoms either at birth or later in childhood.
Of that 20%, about half will have permanent hearing loss as the only symptom of the disease. The hearing loss may be present at birth or show up later in childhood. For this reason, it is important that children with cCMV have regular hearing exams even if no other symptoms are present at birth.
Screening for cCMV helps identify infants at risk of hearing loss and who may benefit from follow-up monitoring and early access to interventions such as sign language, hearing aids and cochlear implants.
Newborn screening cannot predict if a baby will have symptoms, which is why additional testing is important for children with cCMV. Follow-up urine testing within 21 days will determine whether the baby was infected with cytomegalovirus at birth. If cytomegalovirus is found in the baby’s urine, more testing will be recommended to look for symptoms of the disease.
In Australia, healthcare providers offer free screening for newborn babies. The screening tests for certain rare genetic conditions and metabolic disorders. About 99% of babies are screened every year – more than 300,000 babies. Of the babies screened, around 1 in every 1,000 has a condition that would otherwise have gone undetected.