Maternal human immunodeficiency virus infection and congenital transmission of cytomegalovirus.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the frequency of congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in infants born to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected mothers and assess risk factors that may facilitate intrauterine transmission of CMV, including the role of perinatal HIV infection. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of infants who were born to HIV-infected mothers at Parkland Memorial Hospital and screened for congenital CMV infection according to a standard nursery protocol between February 1, 1997 and May 31, 2005. RESULTS: During the 8-year study period that included 125,781 live births, there were 367 infants (0.3%) born to 303 HIV-infected mothers. Of 333 HIV-exposed infants who were screened for CMV, 10 (3%) had congenital CMV infection and 6 (60%) of these were identified only because of the CMV screening protocol. Four (1%) infants were infected with HIV, and none of these was CMV-infected. Compared with CMV-uninfected infants, CMV-infected, HIV-exposed newborns had lower mean birth weight (2508 versus 3148 g, P < 0.01), lower gestational age (37 vs. 39 weeks, P < 0.01), and higher median maternal HIV viral load at the start of prenatal care (15,411 vs. 2209 copies/mL, P = 0.02). CMV-infected infants were more likely to be born to mothers who were diagnosed with HIV during the pregnancy or at delivery (P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of congenital CMV infection among HIV-exposed newborns was 3%. Screening of these infants for CMV would allow identification of infants who are at risk for delayed onset of hearing loss and other neurodevelopmental impairment.

Newborn hearing screening and detection of congenital cytomegalovirus infection.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives were to determine the frequency of congenital cytomegalovirus infection among newborns who did not pass hearing screening tests or had confirmed hearing loss and to determine how often abnormal hearing screening results were the only manifestation of congenital cytomegalovirus infection. METHODS: Retrospective chart review was performed for newborns who had abnormal hearing screening results and positive urine cytomegalovirus culture results at Parkland Memorial Hospital between September 1, 1999, and August 31, 2004. RESULTS: During the 5-year study period, 572 of 79047 newborns (7 of 1000 live births) did not pass hearing screening tests. Cytomegalovirus infection was identified in 24 (5%) of 483 tested infants and 16 (6%) of the 256 infants with subsequently confirmed hearing impairment. Of those 16 infants, 12 (75%) were identified as having congenital cytomegalovirus infection only because of failure to pass newborn hearing screening tests. CONCLUSIONS: Congenital cytomegalovirus infection was present for 6% of newborns with confirmed hearing impairment, and the majority of those infants were identified on the basis of abnormal newborn hearing screening results.