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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

How common is CMV virus in pregnancy

22 replies

Worrier167 · 29/10/2019 19:22

I've literally only just found out about this and can't believe I'd never heard of it before.

Apparently the main way to catch it is from toddlers, I have a 3 year old DD who goes to nursery and throughout this pregnancy I've kissed her on the face, held her hand, finished off her ice creams etc.

The baby's head measurement on my most recent scan was on the low side and I'm so paranoid I've caught CMV and caused microcephaly or something.

OP posts:
MedSchoolRat · 29/10/2019 19:26

I have impression that CMV is quite uncommon in UK.
Chickenpox in pregnancy is hugely more common viral threat to British pregnant women.
*I have some 'insider' expertise & knowledge

meow1989 · 29/10/2019 19:46

Cmv is something that once you have had it you have it and I believe its only the primary infection that is dangerous to the unborn baby. Many people do not know they have it as it can be symptomless.

I have worked closely with a cmv positive baby (so mum had clearly caught it in pregnancy) but am cmv negative as of a few years ago (they test for it if you're a blood donor and it says status on the sticker of the bag of blood). I was also paranoid about contracting cmv but it isnt routinely teated for in pregnancy so I would assume its quite rare.

NightOwl27 · 29/10/2019 19:51

I was also shocked that there is so little information about CMV, far more common and infectious than Zika, toxoplasmosis and listeria etc. I was called back urgently after a blood test around 28 weeks as I was borderline positive for CMV. Had to have more blood tests and a nail-biting week to find out if it was an new infection (serious) or and old infection (not serious). Thankfully it turned out to be an old infection.

  • At least 50% of adults, up to 90% in some places, have already been exposed to CMV. If you had it before pregnancy then you are immune and it won't affect the baby.
  • If you're in the UK then CMV should be tested as part of the TORCH screening. If not, then you should be able to request it.
  • CMV antibody tests are difficult to interpret, especially regarding the timeframe of the infection. I don't live in the UK and my blood sample was actually sent to a different country for analysis as there aren't any labs here equipped for it.
  • Even if you caught CMV during pregnancy, chances are still low (
Original poster
Worrier167 · 29/10/2019 19:52

Thank you. I just hope that I've been lucky. I have been so careful to avoid toxoplasmosis, listeria etc but just never even knew CMV was a possibility, I'd literally never heard of it.

OP posts:
nopun · 29/10/2019 20:07

I was like you - had never heard of it - when my cousin got it during her pregnancy and it all sounded so awful. (Both she & baby we're fine in the end but had to wait to birth to find out). I asked to be tested for it at screening bloods with this pregnancy - midwife needed to be persuaded - and in the end the results weren't putting my mind at ease because apparently I've never had it, so getting it during this pregnancy would still be bad. Don't know whether you can actually 'take precautions' against getting it, it's like any virus and therefore not that easy to avoid (apart from doing obvious things like washing hands and not snogging sick people...)

Original poster
Worrier167 · 29/10/2019 20:17

Glad your cousin and her baby were ok nopun. But how did she know she'd even had it? I thought it wouldn't be apparent unless there was a problem e.g. at one of the scans.

OP posts:
Tojigornot · 29/10/2019 20:19

It’s not uncommon in the uk at all, most people have had it by the time they die if they live a normal life expectancy. Primary infection in pregnancy is fairly uncommon (since roughly 50% of people of that age have already had it), but does happen.

Original poster
Worrier167 · 29/10/2019 20:32

It's the fact it's so common amongst toddlers which freaks me out. In August I very clearly remember I once finished my DD's ice cream as she didn't want it all. I had absolutely no idea it could be dangerous.

OP posts:
nopun · 29/10/2019 20:44

My cousin had proper symptoms. She was feeling really rundown, feverish and shaky, and was worried she'd caught the flu - that's when they tested her and found it was CMV.

I think the strategy to tell pregnant women 'there's this really horrible disease you could get and you wouldn't even know you had it' is just so stressful. They do it with listeriosis as well - 'you can try to avoid it by not eating certain foods but can't ever be sure, and might have it without knowing you do'. All it does is get us so stressed out.

From reading about it seems that if you do get CMV as an adult you would notice. If you're worried that you might have had it during your pregnancy, just ask your midwife for a blood test. Chances are you haven't or you would have known. But how we can avoid catching it I wish I knew!!

Original poster
Worrier167 · 29/10/2019 21:31

That's interesting nopun. Your poor cousin must have been so stressed, worrying if it would affect the baby or not.

I do know what you mean that perhaps it would just cause a lot of unnecessary worry if the NHS did more to publicise it. I'm genuinely so shocked though that I am halfway through my second pregnancy and only just heard of it. I've been so paranoid about something going wrong and this is another thing to add to the worry list... Sad

OP posts:
nopun · 29/10/2019 22:10

I completely get the paranoia, believe me. I actually think they really should publicise this much more - but they shouldn't say silly things like 'you might have it without even knowing', and instead make it much more straightforward to be screened for it. And they should develop an vaccine!

Here's to CMV-free pregnancies...

Matereality · 29/10/2019 22:47

A lot of people do have symptoms. I was very ill with CMV as an adult, having never heard of it before. It needs more publicity, especially because women should avoid pregnancy for several months after infection.

OP the doctors told me that 90 percent of people have CMV as young children. It is really unlikely that you caught it but I totally understand your pregnancy worries Flowers

Original poster
Worrier167 · 30/10/2019 18:10

Thank you everyone. It's a hard balance to strike isn't it, I can understand why they don't want to alarm people but equally it should have more publicity. Especially as so many pregnant women are likely to come into regular contact with toddlers!

@nightowl27 I think I missed your post last night as it crossed with mine, thank you for taking the time to write all that it was very helpful and reassuring

OP posts:
Chaosonthehorizon · 30/10/2019 21:46

I’ve never had it either, asked to be tested this time due to a friends scare and was fully expecting to be immune as I have two children already. Bricking it and only 8 wks so a long way to go. They won’t routinely test me every month because apparently that won’t lessen my anxiety but if I become ill my GP said she may be able to push through another test. The leaflets I have read online say that all midwives are meant to tell pregnant women but never heard of it until last year and am on my third pregnancy!

EstebanTheMagnificent · 31/10/2019 10:45

If it helps to think of it this way - as it is so common amongst toddlers there is a very good chance that you were exposed to it as a child yourself.

Matereality · 31/10/2019 12:30

chaosonthehorizon I was also in close daily contact with young kids for years before getting CMV. It's so strange.

It would be good to be offered a test before TTC since there is no vaccine.

Matereality · 31/10/2019 12:38

Chaos I just reread my comment and it does not sound as reassuring as I intended. I meant to express that you can be around little kids for years and still not catch CMV!

nopun · 31/10/2019 14:17

I agree @Matereality, that does seem to be the case! I've worked with small kids for years, and have a little one already. I was sure that my booking app blood test for this pregnancy would show CMV antibodies in my blood, but apparently I've never had it. Like the OP this does freak me out, but it also seems to suggest that some people don't get the virus that easily. I just hope this will be true for the remainder of this pregnancy.

Matereality · 31/10/2019 17:40

nopun I think you're right that some people must just be good at batting the virus away. If most toddlers have already had it we must have been exposed at some point.

I was very run down when I got CMV. Maybe this was a factor?

DustyMaiden · 31/10/2019 17:45

My DD had it during pregnancy and was told that although it can cause many problems it usually doesn’t. Her baby caught the virus in vitro but it had no ill effect. Xx

DustyMaiden · 31/10/2019 17:45

Ignore xx

Chaosonthehorizon · 08/11/2019 19:13

Matereality weird isn’t it, just hope I don’t catch it in the next 30 weeks! Would be nice to have a reassurance blood test every few weeks but that is not done apparently, cost benefit reasons which is fair enough xx

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