Do you know what Zika virus is? Surely yes, because it causes very serious malformations in babies when the mother gets the infection during pregnancy. In fact, the last outbreak in Brazil two years ago opened news from around the world.
And the cytomegalovirus virus (CMV)? Maybe not, and that their risks are much greater for pregnant women. In fact, "It is the most frequent cause of congenital infection in developed countries (between 0.3 and 0.6% of newborns in Europe)", according to Dr. Pilar Tirado, pediatric neurologist at the Vithas Nisa Pardo Hospital in Aravaca (Madrid).
He tells us what it is, how it is transmitted and how it can affect the newborn, and affects the importance of include the analysis of CMV antibodies in universal pregnancy controls, given the serious consequences it has for the general development of the fetus.
What is cytomegalovirus infection?
Caused by the Cytomegalovirus (CMV) virus, it is present worldwide. It is estimated that it is one of the most frequent infections (Approximately 90% of people get it, especially during childhood), but we are not aware of it, since most of the time it goes without symptoms. That is to say: we get infected but we don't get sick.
When acquired it produces a benign condition, so it can go unnoticed. The symptoms are: tonsillitis, mild hepatitis, fever and malaise for one or two weeks. It may even appear as a mild catarrhal picture.
The main problem lies in congenital infection, acquired before birth. In these cases it is very serious for the fetus and affects all its general development.
Its incidence is between one and four percent of non-immunized pregnant women. If the mother becomes ill, 40% of the fetuses become infected and 10% will show symptoms at birth.
In Babies and more, what is a risky pregnancy?Hence the importance of the CMV study being included in pregnancy controls to detect its presence.
What risks does it have for the baby?
The dangers for the fetus are much more important than for an adult: it can affect their general development, especially the brain.
The most frequent symptoms derived from this infection are:
Intrauterine growth retardation and low birth weight.
Premature delivery.
Reticuloendothelial involvement. It is very common and presents as a petechial rash (rash and reddish spots) or jaundice.
Deterioration of the central nervous system. It damages the brain in formation, being able to provoke from neuronal death to malformations. In fact, this virus is the main cause of microcephaly (small head size).
These brain injuries cause mental retardation in different degrees, motor involvement or cerebral palsy and epilepsy.
However, the child's ability to recover from the brain (the so-called neuronal plasticity) opens a window of hope for recovery. Therefore, long-term sequelae cannot be established until the child develops his brain functions.
Eye problems. In 10 percent of cases. The most common disease is chorioretinitis, an inflammation of the choroid (a lining of the retina) that affects vision.
Bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. The lack of hearing It affects two out of every three children with the infection. It can be progressive in 2/3 of the little ones and get worse with age. CMV is the main cause of deafness in newborns.
Therefore, children with hearing problems have to follow periodic hearing checks up to three years, as they are at risk of developing deafness during this time.
This is how 'older brother's disease' is spread
CMV spreads with body fluids, such as saliva and urine.
Fetal infection occurs after the mother's first contact with the virus, especially during the first trimester of pregnancy. It rarely occurs if the future mother is already immunized (for having suffered), although it is possible.
In Babies and more Universal measures to prevent infections during pregnancyIt is known as "elder brother's disease", since it is usually small children who bring it home after being infected by other children. Therefore, pregnant women who are not immunized should take special care and wash your hands before and after diaper changes, and during catarrhal infections.
In addition, it can also be transmitted with kisses and sexual intercourse.
Once the virus enters the body, it stays there for a lifetime and can be reactivated again.
Treatment
There are no universal programs to detect the infection in newborns or pregnancy. Hence the importance of establishing universal detection programs for the presence of CMV antibodies among pregnant women.
Because although a baby who has the infection may seem healthy, health problems or disabilities may occur two years or more after birth, or even never appear.
However, if the disease is discovered in time, the pregnant woman can be treated with immunoglobulins. And the baby, during its first weeks of life, with antiretrovirals, which decrease the viral load and improve the prognosis of the disease.
Studies have shown that treatment is beneficial even for newborns who have no symptoms of infection: they reduce complications that may appear later, especially improving hearing problems.
So in conclusion we have to keep the idea that it is about a very dangerous virus for the baby when the mother carries it while pregnant.
As CMV does not usually show symptoms in adults, it is necessary that the antibody test be included in the routine tests of pregnant women, since a timely treatment can reduce its serious effects.
And it is important that doctors explain the consequences of the virus to pregnant women and basic measures to minimize the risks of infecting your babies.
Photos | iStock
