Cytomegalovirus in pregnancy (CMV): how to get it, values, what happens
Introduction
If you've recently discovered you're pregnant, you've no doubt heard of Cytomegalovirus of Pregnancy (CMV) .
What are the symptoms? Is it dangerous for the fetus?: these questions will undoubtedly have dominated, even if only for a second, your thoughts.
With this article, I immediately set myself the goal of taking you by the hand and providing you with all the necessary scientific information on a very important topic for your well-being during pregnancy.
Before getting into the heart of the matter, I would like to remind you that:
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At the end of each paragraph, you will find the button to purchase “Nascere e Rinascere Madre”, the pre-birth video course designed and held by Doctor Maria Chiara Alvisi, the midwife at the Centro Yule in Seregno . It is a course with a strong practical character designed to accompany you until the day of birth.
To book an appointment with me or with the other professionals I work with, you can click here .
You can also find me on Instagram on the profile @drsilva.com_official , full of free content on the world of mothers and children.
Now, I'll wait for you in the next paragraphs of the article!
Cytomegalovirus Infection During Pregnancy: What Is It?
Cytomegalovirus is an extremely common virus.
Belonging to the Herpesvirus family, it affects, according to the numbers, approximately 70 - 80% of adults in Italy (source: ISS epicentre ).
A virus that remains latent throughout life in subjects with efficient immune defenses, when it is contracted during pregnancy or reactivated - in this second case, it assumes a behavior that we can see, for example, in herpes that appears on the lips - can represent a problem for the health of the fetus.
In the first of the two cases listed, we are talking about primary Cytomegalovirus infection in pregnancy .
In the second, which involves both the reactivation of the latent strain and contagion with a new strain, of secondary infection.
Depending on the situation, you are dealing with a different percentage of risk of transmitting the virus to the fetus. Here are the official data according to ISS experts:
Primary infection (situation in which the mother starts without antibodies capable of fighting the virus): risk between 30 and 40% in the first two trimesters and between 40 and 70 in the third.
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Secondary infection: much lower risk of transmission, around 1-2%.
In the next paragraph, we will see some important information about possible complications affecting the fetus.
Damage to the fetus
The damage to the fetus caused by Cytomegalovirus during pregnancy can be of various types.
They are essentially divided into temporary and permanent.
Here are the most frequent among the first:
Low birth weight
Convulsive seizures
Petechiae
As for permanent damage, however, it ranges from deafness to mental retardation, without forgetting epilepsy and problems with movement coordination.