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Pregnancy

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

Original poster

How have I not heard of CMV!?

27 replies

eliayd · 03/02/2023 01:16

I was thinking how is there not more warning about this infection when it can cause issues in pregnancy? ESP because of how it is spread through toddlers which so many of us have! Totally scary!

OP posts:
Original poster
eliayd · 03/02/2023 08:51

eliayd · 03/02/2023 01:16

I was thinking how is there not more warning about this infection when it can cause issues in pregnancy? ESP because of how it is spread through toddlers which so many of us have! Totally scary!

Bump

OP posts:
Follycastle · 03/02/2023 08:53

My midwife mentioned it to me at my booking appointment 🤷🏼‍♀️

Original poster
eliayd · 03/02/2023 08:54

@Follycastle what did she say about it? X

OP posts:
Follycastle · 03/02/2023 09:00

eliayd · 03/02/2023 08:54

@Follycastle what did she say about it? X

I don’t remember to be honest, and it was only three weeks ago. I have a toddler so I think she wanted me to be aware of it. I just googled it when I got home. There’s an NHS page about it.

Original poster
eliayd · 03/02/2023 09:07

@Follycastle thanks. I did check it out. I guess Im struggling because last week I had sore throat and it made my voice hoarse. No other symptoms. I have a 2 year old who goes nursery x2 a week

OP posts:
FarmBaby3 · 03/02/2023 19:27

I've never heard of it and I have a 5 year old and a 3 year old. What is it?

purpledalmation · 03/02/2023 20:21

Most people have had it as children. So immune now. It's a virus which doesn't have obvious features, so 'just a virus'. Avoiding (as much as possible snotty infectious kids because you never know if it's CMV). Good hygiene and hand washing If an infection is known and picked up i think it can be treated with immunoglobulin but it's rarely picked up. Even if infected during pregnancy the number of babies infected is tiny. Basically good hand hygiene.

purpledalmation · 03/02/2023 20:22

FarmBaby3 · 03/02/2023 19:27

I've never heard of it and I have a 5 year old and a 3 year old. What is it?

Cytomegalovirus. Rarely it can transmit to the unborn child and cause serious issues with development.

shhsleepin · 03/02/2023 21:02

I'd never heard of it until they thought DC1 had been affected by it - anomalies on 20 week scan. In my subsequent pregnancies it wasn't mentioned either. I did once see a poster in fetal medicine though.

Ireallywantsomechips · 03/02/2023 21:20

I had to have a blood test to check I had the antibodies for this during pregnancy because I had a virus with a rash no one could explain. The doctor told me it’s really rare that you don’t get it as a child yourself so I guess that’s why it’s not talked about much. I had the antibodies so I obviously had it as a child

Christmasisshit · 03/02/2023 21:22

I'd never heard of it until a friend's child was born with it. Very sad.

ItsNotReallyChaos · 03/02/2023 21:24

I had a blood test as part of pre-checks before fertility treatment. I was CMV negative. I didn't worry too much about it.

Original poster
eliayd · 03/02/2023 22:08

shhsleepin · 03/02/2023 21:02

I'd never heard of it until they thought DC1 had been affected by it - anomalies on 20 week scan. In my subsequent pregnancies it wasn't mentioned either. I did once see a poster in fetal medicine though.

How is your DC1 doing now? X

OP posts:
Original poster
eliayd · 03/02/2023 22:10

@Ireallywantsomechips
@purpledalmation

Thanks reassuring that most people should be immune to it. I really hope I am too. And I have antibodies so I wouldn't get a active infection. I'm so paranoid I want to do a private test. Is that excessive?

OP posts:
Original poster
eliayd · 03/02/2023 22:11

ItsNotReallyChaos · 03/02/2023 21:24

I had a blood test as part of pre-checks before fertility treatment. I was CMV negative. I didn't worry too much about it.

Did you have antibodies? X

OP posts:
ItsNotReallyChaos · 03/02/2023 22:29

I'd have thought not

babyboyHarrison · 03/02/2023 22:35

Also about CMV I donate blood and it says that I am CMV -ve, I asked about it and it turns out that they need CMV -ve blood for donations to neonatal as the anti-bodies in the blood can be bad for tiny babies. I guess it is all related. They said about 2/3rds of the population have had it but never heard of it before I noticed it on my blood donation.

purpledalmation · 03/02/2023 22:54

eliayd · 03/02/2023 22:10

@Ireallywantsomechips
@purpledalmation

Thanks reassuring that most people should be immune to it. I really hope I am too. And I have antibodies so I wouldn't get a active infection. I'm so paranoid I want to do a private test. Is that excessive?

If it puts your mind at rest, or at all. I worried about it as a friends baby had it and had learning delays.

Original poster
eliayd · 03/02/2023 22:58

@purpledalmation
I don't know. It can cause a massive spectrum of issues to the effected children. Even if risk is small in general it sends my anxiety through the. Roof :(

OP posts:
Original poster
eliayd · 03/02/2023 23:38

babyboyHarrison · 03/02/2023 22:35

Also about CMV I donate blood and it says that I am CMV -ve, I asked about it and it turns out that they need CMV -ve blood for donations to neonatal as the anti-bodies in the blood can be bad for tiny babies. I guess it is all related. They said about 2/3rds of the population have had it but never heard of it before I noticed it on my blood donation.

Yes. There must be a reason not many have heard of it. Maybe the risk of infection isn't big enough due to high levels of population immunity?. Having a toddler going nursery just makes me super apprehensive about it tbh

OP posts:
fairgame84 · 04/02/2023 02:34

I work on nicu so I'm aware of it.
The virus is really common and most people have it with no issues as it's just a run of the mill general cold or sniffle.
There's not a lot you can do to prevent catching it and there's no special symptoms that you can tell it's cmv from other viruses.
Even if you do catch it, the chances of it causing harm to your unborn baby are rare.

Margo34 · 04/02/2023 03:37

I've never heard of it! Should I be worried? I'm scared to Google it 🙈 I have a toddler at nursery x2 a week and I also work in EYFS with snotty grotty 4/5yos with no awareness of personal space or hygiene.

Original poster
eliayd · 04/02/2023 07:36

fairgame84 · 04/02/2023 02:34

I work on nicu so I'm aware of it.
The virus is really common and most people have it with no issues as it's just a run of the mill general cold or sniffle.
There's not a lot you can do to prevent catching it and there's no special symptoms that you can tell it's cmv from other viruses.
Even if you do catch it, the chances of it causing harm to your unborn baby are rare.

I guess I'm more anxious then usual because my eldest has health issues because he was the rare case. I guess I very aware that the rare case can happen to me. So my anxiety just takes over.

Thanks for your comment though. It's helps, I pray I don't get unlucky again x

OP posts:
Original poster
eliayd · 04/02/2023 07:53

Margo34 · 04/02/2023 03:37

I've never heard of it! Should I be worried? I'm scared to Google it 🙈 I have a toddler at nursery x2 a week and I also work in EYFS with snotty grotty 4/5yos with no awareness of personal space or hygiene.

Be aware of it it. But don't go down that google rabbit hole. Trust me x

OP posts:
fairgame84 · 04/02/2023 08:11

eliayd · 04/02/2023 07:36

I guess I'm more anxious then usual because my eldest has health issues because he was the rare case. I guess I very aware that the rare case can happen to me. So my anxiety just takes over.

Thanks for your comment though. It's helps, I pray I don't get unlucky again x

Show quote history

I get why you're so worried.
Just practice good hand hygiene as it's spread in body fluids so hand-wash after changing nappies, wiping little ones nose etc