National Congenital Cytomegalovirus Awareness Month

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a virus that can affect anyone and is the most common infectious cause of birth defects. One in three children in the US have CMV which can stay there for life and reactivate at any time. Most people with CMV have no symptoms and are unaware they have been infected. CMV causes the greatest risk to an unborn baby as it is the leading non-genetic cause of hearing loss and can also cause vision loss, mental disability, cerebral palsy, seizures. CMV is found in home and daycare settings and so women with young children, those under 6 years old, or who work with young children are at the greatest risk.