Cytomegalovirus (CMV)

October 2007     View PDF     En español

Concerns for pregnant women

If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, a CMV test can help you know how careful you must be to prevent CMV infection. If the test is positive, it means you already have CMV and there’s little chance that your unborn baby will be harmed by CMV—unless the infection occurred in the few months before your pregnancy. If the test is negative, the best way to protect unborn babies from CMV is by using good hygiene before and during pregnancy.

If your doctor determines that you had a new CMV infection during the pregnancy, this does not mean that your unborn baby is infected. In many cases, you can be infected with CMV without it spreading to the baby. The only way to know is by testing the newborn within the first 3 weeks after birth.

Scientists are looking at other ways to prevent congenital CMV. Currently, there are no treatments for pregnant women whose unborn babies may be infected with CMV. The current drugs used to treat CMV have serious side effects and are not approved for use in pregnant women.