Paranoid about CMV

[JemL]

Have just had a conversation with a casual friend and told her I am preg, and in the course of our chat, she told me to be careful about CMV (her son is affected) I knew virtually nothing about it and googled it (I know, but I DID go to the NHS site) and came to www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1108.aspx?this Now I am freaking out having been happily sharing cups, food etc with DS and of course kissing him on the mouth! Am I being irrational?!?! Surely being pregnant and having a toddler too makes this unavoidable?!?!

Oops, can't post links!

www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1108.aspx?CategoryID=54&SubCategoryID=137

Well, there are 600,000 babies born in the uk each year, one third of women who actually contract cmv will pass it on to their babies and of those only 10% babies will have any problems. Providing my maths is right with the figures given on the nhs page - feel free to correct anyone - this gives a statistic of a 0.03% chance (for the number of babies born each year) having a severe disability stemming from cmv and a 0.0016% chance of cmv causing stillbirth (if contracted in early pregnancy) for the general population. Obviously you also have to catch cmv in the first place.

To be honest, I would only avoid kissing my child on the mouth/cheek if they had a cold sore as I would even if I wasn't pregnant. (I am 24 weeks with a 2 year old!)

If you are still concerned I would ask your mw for avice as they will have better advice and information than me!!

HTH xxx

But surely if your ds was infected then it's likely he'd have passed it on to you by now? I'm sure this advice is about non-family members. Ditto the barrier contraception advice: presumably if your dp had it, you would have it as well.

Beccabump I'm sure you're right, and statistically it is a tiny chance...I think it was the power of suggestion; ie someone specifically telling me to be careful has freaked me out! I would also be careful with cold sores, etc, if DS had any at any point, I was just thinking about day to day contact...

shonaspurtle I hadn't thought of it like that but it makes sense, especially as the advice mentions people who work in day care.

I am a ridiculous human being!

Thanks for your help x