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You may be thinking, what is this cytomegalovirus? This somewhat complicated name is a cousin brother of a boy well known to many people, the herpes virus. However, as it is a disease caused by viruses, there is little to do when it is active in the body, only the symptoms are treated.
The problem is when the cytomegalovirus reaches the body of a pregnant woman. This can cause problems for mom , but especially for the baby. Know then, what this virus can cause in the baby, what are the symptoms, form of contagion and other doubts that may arise on the subject.
What is cytomegalovirus
Cytomegalovirus is a viral disease of the herpes family. Like herpes, it is common for the population to have and can remain inactive for a while . Do you know the herpes attacks? In the same way, cytomegalovirus attacks occur.
How to get cytomegalovirus
The virus is passed from person to person through body fluids like saliva, blood, vaginal discharge and even the tear. Contrary to popular belief, a large part of the population experiences the infection of this virus at some point in life. About 80 to 90% of the world population, thus, an extremely common disease.
An extremely important care to speak of is care in sexual intercourse. The use of condoms is extremely important to prevent the spread of the disease, since like other diseases, it is not known who has it or not just by appearance.
Main symptoms
Fever, headache, neck swelling, spleen and / or liver swelling, tiredness and abdominal pain. In pregnant women an important symptom is pain in the underarm and sinus glands. Fever below 38 and body pain.
Through blood tests it is possible to find out if you have ever had the disease in your life. Most cases of the disease, people do not even realize that they have been infected by the virus. The big problem is when this viral cytomegalovirus infection happens in pregnancy or shortly before it happens. This is because there is a possibility that the virus will cross the placenta and pass the disease on to the baby. This, in turn, is in formation and has no antibodies and no way to fight the disease by itself.
Risks to the Baby in Pregnancy
Cytomegalovirus in pregnancy can cause several problems such as sequelae for the fetus, including: deafness, blindness, mental retardation, epilepsy and others. However, it can sometimes be a harmless infection. We can say that the importance of the disease varies from case to case.
It is important to remember that if the woman has been infected with the virus before, the chances of having a problem with the baby drastically reduce. The cases of people who contracted the disease for the first time in pregnancy that are more worrying and also those with a higher incidence of problems for the baby due to the aggressiveness that enters the body .
Can Baby Be Born With Cytomegalovirus?
Yes, the baby can be born with cytomegalovirus. In addition to being infected in utero, the baby can also contract cytomegalovirus at the time of delivery . Therefore, it is important for the mother to have the disease tested for antibodies as soon as she discovers the pregnancy and throughout the pregnancy periodically to treat the disease during pregnancy. In fact, the treatment for this virus is based on antivirals (Acyclovir) and injections based on immunoglobulins.
Disease Diagnostic Tests
The detection of cytomegalovirus for both mother and baby can be done on the basis of a blood test. In this case, IgG and IgM for disease can make all the difference, to better understand:
A non-reactive IgM and IgG means that the person has not had contact with the disease and must take great care, you can be infected at any time.
A negative IgM and positive IgG means that the woman had contact with the disease and produced antibodies and the baby is not at risk.
A positive IgM and a negative IgG means that the person has had contact with the virus and is in the process of infection, but does not yet have antibodies. This is the most worrying case in pregnancy, since the baby can be infected by the disease. In this case it is up to the doctor to do a new exam to check the possibility of contact with the baby and if possible to treat.
For women who have already had the disease, recidivism is not dangerous during pregnancy, but women who have never had contact with the disease should take great care. Among them, wash your hands constantly and try to use condoms during sexual intercourse.
Also avoid using glasses and plates, other people’s cutlery, using your own manicure set, not sharing toothpicks and other items that may be contaminated. Trips to public restrooms must be tripled.
Can women with cytomegalovirus breastfeed?
Yes, unless the baby is premature, but the contact of the mother with cytomegalovirus with her baby is not restricted. The biggest problem is when the baby is in intrauterine formation. There are no major problems for babies already born, the consequences will be less than for babies in formation.
See also: Streptococcus Exam – What is the Need?
My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.
Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.
