Expectant mothers are being reminded to be vigilant and see their GP if they experience cold and flu symptoms – especially in the first half of their pregnancy.
This is due to the risk of cytomegalovirus – or CMV – a common virus that almost all of us will get at some point in our lives.
While CMW is generally so innocuous we don’t even realise we’ve been infected, when passed from a pregnant woman to her unborn baby it can lead to complications including hearing and vision loss, intellectual impairment, movement disorders, or even death.
It may come as a surprise to some that it’s the most common infection passed from mothers to babies during pregnancy, with approximately 2,000 babies in Australia born with CMV each year. Of these, approximately 400 are likely to experience CMV-related disability.
Dr Shannon Emmett, Staff Specialist in Clinical and Laboratory Haematology and Obstetric Medicine at Gold Coast University Hospital, said the biggest risk is people not being aware of CMV.
“CMV has been a frustrating virus, as it is very common yet has the potential to cause so much harm,” Dr Emmett said.
“It is responsible for tenfold more incidents of disability than Down Syndrome, yet not many people even know what it is, what the symptoms are, or what the risks to their baby are.
“It causes up to a quarter of deafness cases in babies, at least 10 per cent of cerebral palsy cases, and significant other cognitive issues.
“Mums with toddlers are particularly susceptible, as toddlers get exposed at daycare, then come home and give mum a kiss, or they share eating utensils, and then if mum's pregnant, she can pass it on to her baby.
“It is a huge risk to the baby – particularly if Mum gets CMV in her first trimester.”
In Australia, around 30 to 40 per cent of women who become pregnant have not had CMV before – meaning the risk of primary infection is high.
There is then about a 10 per cent chance of severe long-term effects in her baby if primary infection occurs in the first trimester.
Once a person has had CMV, the virus remains in the body, but the immune system keeps it in check. There is a small chance of the virus reactivating however, and while there is an even smaller chance of a pregnant woman with a returning CMV infection passing it on to her unborn child, it is still important to be checked even if she’s had CMV before.
Mum Talia Caress was shocked to find out she had CMV while pregnant with her second child.
With her eldest in daycare at the time, it was an unrelated visit to the doctor that led to the discovery.
“I have the most incredible GP in the world because she was the one that picked it up,” Talia said.
“I’d gone in for what turned out to be a gallstone, but when she asked if I had any other symptoms, I was like ‘actually, I've had fevers the last couple of nights, and I've been a bit sniffly – but I've got a toddler, so that's totally normal’.
“The first thing she said to me was, ‘I don't want to scare you, but I need you to get a blood test today because we're going to check you for CMV’.
“I'd previously worked in the childcare industry, so I was aware of the prevalence and how costly it can be – I’d just not put any thought into it this time around, having left the industry.”
With the blood test coming back positive, Talia was referred to Maternal Fetal Medicine at Gold Coast University Hospital, where regular scans were conducted to check her baby’s development, along with a treatment plan.
“It was the most insane experience, having to consider the fact that we may not end up with a baby, but luckily the CMV hadn’t penetrated the amniotic sac and bubby was fine,” Talia said.
Talia Caress and her family
“As much as I’d hoped for that dream pregnancy, my daughter's here and she's healthy and she can hear and she's growing up so great, and I owe that all to the Gold Coast Health team and to my GP for acting so quickly.”
Dr Emmett encourages pregnant women to be wary and seek medical advice if they have any symptoms.
“If you’re unwell, get to your doctor urgently so we can do testing to see if you've got CMV and get you onto treatment to try to stop the transmission – particularly if you’re in your first trimester.
“Symptoms are flu-like – so being tired, having a fever or sore throat are the main symptoms. It presents like any viral infection and doesn't have to be any more severe than that – so don’t brush off symptoms as being nothing.”
Steps to help protect your unborn baby:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water
- Clean toys and surfaces that come into contact with bodily fluids
- Avoid sharing food, drinks, cutlery or toothbrushes
- Avoid kissing your children on the mouth