Cmv testing

dnjmommy · December 2014

A friend of my mother's contracted the CMV virus while pregnant with twins and her children were both born with severe complications. One of her daughters just passed away 11 years later. My mom is insisting I get tested for the virus now that im 8w3d pregnant. I will ask my OB at my next appt, but I was just wondering. What would be the benefit of testing. Just so I could worry? Is there anything the doctors can do to keep my baby from contracting the virus from me if I test positive? Opinions please??

thiscoffeechick · December 2014

Uh... Did you check google? I've never heard of this. Let us know what you find out!

dnjmommy · December 2014

I did check google, and from what I gather CMV is a very common virus that most people get from time to time. It has little to no symptoms and is not dangerous except to expecting mons. The only thing I've seen is that blood testing is not usually routine because there is such a small chance of your baby contracting the virus from the mother. When it does, though, it can cause nervous system issues, deafness, blindness and other serious issues. I'm just thinking that it would really be an unnecessary test since I'm not finding anything that says that it can be prevented. ( if you test positive) Just wondering if anyone has any experience on the topic.

thiscoffeechick · December 2014

Hmmmmmm. That's really interesting. I'll be watching this thread.

360blessings · December 2014

@dnjmommy - I think we are friends with the same person!

Yes, I have experience with congenital CMV. My first son was stillborn at 33 weeks due to picking up this virus while pregnant. I had never heard of it, but it is very common - especially in young children. Forty to sixty percent of women have never contracted the virus prior to pregnancy and are at risk for being infected. There is an almost 10% (!!!!!) chance of passing the virus to your unborn child (a congenital infection). Congenital CMV is the cause of many stillbirths, late term miscarriages, hearing loss, cerebral palsy, and a host of other issues.

I've wanted to post a PSA about this. Doctors can screen you before/during/after pregnancy. Once you have had a prior infection, the likelihood to have a reactivated infection is rare. I get my CMV levels (IgG and IgM) tested at every appointment.

Less than 14% of women have ever heard of CMV, and while the CDC recommends OBGYN's educate women, statistics show less than 40% of OB's mention it.

Prevention is easy and key! Do not kiss young children on the lips, or pass saliva through putting a pacifier in your mouth, sharing utensils and cups with young kids, wash hands after diaper changes, and coming to contact with ANY bodily fluids. Wash your hands often!

(sorry...sensitive subject)

360blessings · December 2014

www.stopcmv.org (website will be changing soon)

https://www.cdc.gov/cmv/index.html

https://www.facebook.com/stopcmv?ref=br_tf

360blessings · December 2014

And the benefit of testing while pregnant is doctors would monitor baby if results are positive/likely for a primary infection. Hyperimmune globulin treatment may help reduce the risk, and Ganciclovir and Valganciclovir are antivirual treatments that may be beneficial to symptomatic newborns/neonates.

skippinkate · December 2014

@360blessings‌ I'm sorry you had to go through that. Thanks for posting so much helpful information. I will be asking my OB about this.

dnjmommy · December 2014

@360blessings. So sorry about your loss. Thank you for the info. Like I said, my plan is to ask my ob about it, but this is my 4th pregnancy and I've never had an ob mention it before.(I've had two) And the death of this child has hit close to home with my mother.

mehlaknee · December 2014

I had myself tested. CMV is something that we can all Carry and not know but like above posters have said, if a woman is negative and contracts it WHILE pregnant there is a lot of risk to the baby. I'm a nurse and very coming we have patients with active CMV infections so I wanted to know for my own peace of mind.

Mamamads · December 2014

What the shit?! I've never heard of this, would the doctor test for this with all the other blood work possibly? Yikes, as if we need anything else to worry about.

mehlaknee · December 2014

@mamamads , I know I wish more knew! And my doc didn't. I was somewhat annoyed that I had to fight as much as I did to get her to add the test...

Mamamads · December 2014

mehlaknee said:
@mamamads , I know I wish more knew! And my doc didn't. I was somewhat annoyed that I had to fight as much as I did to get her to add the test...

Ughh better bring it up next visit. Having a toddler this worries me because I kiss her constantly but luckily she's not on daycare or any place too germy.

360blessings · December 2014

Unfortunately most OB's are not very well versed in congenital CMV infections and most do not mention it to patients. It is one of the most easily preventable infections but like I said before, less than 14% of the general population have even heard of this.

If only more people were aware of this, it would save a lot of lives.

Please, if you have any questions let me know. I have a lot of informational papers for OBs, legislators, etc through STOP CMV. It was the president/founder of this group that had one of her 11 year old twins pass away a few weeks ago (both born with symptomatic congenital CMV infections).

As for testing, typically titers are run together (just bloodwork). IgG and IgM. IgG will show if you have ever had a CMV infection, IgM levels will show an active/current/recent infection.

I did not have any older children when I contracted the virus, however I was a manager at Babies R Us. I just wish someone had told me about this prior to hearing about it for the first time and finding out it was the cause of my son's death.

360blessings · December 2014

Mamamads said:
What the shit?! I've never heard of this, would the doctor test for this with all the other blood work possibly? Yikes, as if we need anything else to worry about.

No, this is not standard testing in any states, let alone within the US. In some other countries this is a standard screening (I know at least in Israel).

Also if anyone is in Utah, you should have heard, be hearing about CMV due to new legislation that was passed last year (House Bill 81 led by Rep. Mendlove) that included a large portion focusing on prevention education. All OB, health depts etc are required to educate patients. It's a step in the right direction.

Mamamads · December 2014

360blessings said:
Unfortunately most OB's are not very well versed in congenital CMV infections and most do not mention it to patients. It is one of the most easily preventable infections but like I said before, less than 14% of the general population have even heard of this.

If only more people were aware of this, it would save a lot of lives.

Please, if you have any questions let me know. I have a lot of informational papers for OBs, legislators, etc through STOP CMV. It was the president/founder of this group that had one of her 11 year old twins pass away a few weeks ago (both born with symptomatic congenital CMV infections).

As for testing, typically titers are run together (just bloodwork). IgG and IgM. IgG will show if you have ever had a CMV infection, IgM levels will show an active/current/recent infection.

I did not have any older children when I contracted the virus, however I was a manager at Babies R Us. I just wish someone had told me about this prior to hearing about it for the first time and finding out it was the cause of my son's death.

I am so incredibly sorry for your loss. I can't believe this isn't common knowledge and tests aren't given routinely. Did you say there are zero symptoms?

360blessings · December 2014

Mamamads said:

360blessings said:
Unfortunately most OB's are not very well versed in congenital CMV infections and most do not mention it to patients. It is one of the most easily preventable infections but like I said before, less than 14% of the general population have even heard of this.

If only more people were aware of this, it would save a lot of lives.

Please, if you have any questions let me know. I have a lot of informational papers for OBs, legislators, etc through STOP CMV. It was the president/founder of this group that had one of her 11 year old twins pass away a few weeks ago (both born with symptomatic congenital CMV infections).

As for testing, typically titers are run together (just bloodwork). IgG and IgM. IgG will show if you have ever had a CMV infection, IgM levels will show an active/current/recent infection.

I did not have any older children when I contracted the virus, however I was a manager at Babies R Us. I just wish someone had told me about this prior to hearing about it for the first time and finding out it was the cause of my son's death.
I am so incredibly sorry for your loss. I can't believe this isn't common knowledge and tests aren't given routinely. Did you say there are zero symptoms?

Symptoms for mom are mostly fatigue and flu like symptoms.

not very helpful in distinguishing when you're pregnant.

And thank you all for the kind words and sympathy. The more people I can educate mean my son's life and death wasn't in vain.

slamar3 · December 2014

A lot of adults have been exposed to cmv at some point, and your titers would come back positive. It is not dangerous to your fetus unless you contract it WHILE pregnant. As for not contracting it, there is not much you can do beside staying away from those with an active infection.

traceyos · December 2014

@360blessings‌ thank you for the info. I'm sorry you had to go through this! I've never heard of it before. As a first time mom, not around a lot of kids, should I still get screened at every appt?

360blessings · December 2014

I wouldn't recommend screening at every appointment. I do because ive lived through it and paranoid. I think if you screen once and it shows that you have already been exposed/had a previous infection but not active currently then you are not really at risk. 40-60% of you have likely already had a previous CMV infection and never knew it.

MCH77 · December 2014

@360blessings‌ - gave a great overview.

In Jan 2014 I lost my son at 24 weeks to an CMV infection. I wasn't even sick enough to miss work. My guess is I contracted it from my son (2 1/2 at that point). It's very common in daycares.

Washing hands, not sharing food, not kissing your kids on the lips (very hard to do) is key.

360blessings · December 2014

bumping as a PSA

oops34 · December 2014

So sorry for the losses mentioned. This is my 4th baby, and I've never ever heard of this. What exactly is CMV? This is good information to know!

360blessings · December 2014

@oops34 - CMV, Cytomegalovirus is a common virus, especially in children, that generally causes fatigue and flu like symptoms. The virus is not usually dangerous unless contracted during pregnancy. If you have had the virus prior to pregnancy, there is not much of a risk of reactivation during pregnancy. However 40-60% of women have never been exposed/infected prior to pregnancy making them at risk for contracting the virus. 10% will pass this infection on to their unborn child, and permanent birth defects and symptoms include, hearing loss, blindness, cerebral palsy, microcephaly, seizures, developmental disabilities, etc. Congenital (passed to baby during pregnancy) CMV is also a cause of miscarriage, stillbirth, and child death. It is very common, but few people have ever heard of this.

Easiest prevention is to avoid contact with children's saliva (no kissing children on the lips) and other bodily fluids, no sharing of cups, utensils, etc., frequent washing of hands, etc.

Unfortunately, there is no miracle cure for children affected by congenital CMV, but prevention education will help reduce the number of children born with cCMV.

I posted some links above that can provide more detail about prevention, and about CMV infections in general.

Want a personalized experience?

Cmv testing

Re: Cmv testing

Choose Another Board

Search Boards