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Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is an invisible threat to the health of fetuses and newborns, largely ignored despite its dramatic consequences. The Hearing Foundation, in partnership with experts, is calling for vigilance to prevent serious complications.
Olivia, Noah’s mother, remembers the shock: “Noah developed profound deafness due to CMV… The road has been long and difficult, and we regret not having been informed sooner“. Sarah, Charlotte’s mother, shares a similar testimony: “The announcement of Charlotte’s bilateral deafness plunged us into the unknown. Accepting this handicap was a daily challenge“These stories illustrate the importance of general mobilization for the prevention and systematic screening of cytomegalovirus.
A little-known virus, but devastating for the youngest
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is largely underestimated. While 60 to 70% of adults are infected in industrialized countries, this virus from the herpesvirus family often spreads quietly. However, its consequences can be dramatic for newborns. Transmitted during pregnancy, CMV affects between 0.5 and 2% of babies, and 20% of them will suffer serious after-effects, including progressive deafness and neurological disorders.
For Dr Marianne Leruez-Ville, virologist and head of the Bacteriology, virology, parasitology and hygiene department at the Necker-Enfants Malades AP-HP hospital, “CMV infection is ten times more common than toxoplasmosis in pregnant women, yet it remains largely underdiagnosed. No systematic screening measures are currently in place in France, despite the knowledge we have accumulated“.
It is crucial to raise awareness among pregnant women
CMV infection often goes unnoticed in healthy adults, causing at most a mild flu-like illness. But for pregnant women, the risk is much higher, particularly for those under 35 having their first child in the community. Once infected, they can transmit the virus to their baby, with potentially serious consequences.
And what is particularly alarming is that 90% of infected newborns appear healthy at birth. However, for 20% of them, complications appear later, in the form of deafness, balance disorders or even neurological disorders. And if antiviral treatments, such as valaciclovir, can help limit the transmission of the virus, the infection still needs to be detected in time. However, France has not yet introduced systematic screening, despite the examples of other infections such as toxoplasmosis, already detected in the first weeks of pregnancy.
Essential mobilization: simple gestures, transformed lives
Faced with this worrying situation, the Hearing Foundation does not remain inactive. With the publication of its exhaustive file on CMV, it intends to increase awareness around prevention actions and screening. Barrier gestures, such as regular hand washing, are simple but effective tools to limit transmission. CMV is spread through contact with infected bodily fluids, like saliva or urine, and these basic hygiene measures can make a big difference.
Professor Yves Ville, head of the obstetrics department at Necker-Enfants Malades hospital, affirms that early detection would make it possible to implement antiviral treatments limiting the transmission of the virus to the fetus. “Today, antivirals such as valaciclovir are proving effective in limiting risks when infection is detected early.he explains, but regrets that “this opportunity is still largely ignored in France”.
CMV infection is today a real public health issue. However, it remains largely underdiagnosed and little known. The Hearing Foundation calls for better prevention and systematic screening to protect newborns from the serious consequences of this silent but devastating infection.