If the woman is infected with cytomegalovirus (CMV) during pregnancy, it is important that treatment is done quickly to prevent contamination of the baby by the placenta or during delivery, which can cause changes in the baby’s development.
Pregnant women usually come into contact with cytomegalovirus before pregnancy and therefore have antibodies that can fight infection and prevent transmission; However, when the infection occurs shortly before or during the first half of pregnancy, there is the possibility of transmitting the virus to the baby., which can lead to premature delivery and even fetal malformations, such as microcephaly, deafness, mental retardation or epilepsy.
- Cytomegalovirus during pregnancy has no cure.
- But it is usually possible to start antiviral processing to prevent transmission to the baby.
Treatment of cytomegalovirus during pregnancy should be done in accordance with the advice of the obstetrician, with the use of antiviral medications, such as aciclovir, for example, or immunoglobulin injection, which aims to stimulate the immune system and fight infection, preventing transmission of infection.to the baby.
During treatment, your doctor should perform regular checkups to monitor your baby’s development and make sure the virus doesn’t cause any changes.Learn more about treating cytomegalovirus during pregnancy.
Symptoms of cytomegalovirus infection are not very specific, such as muscle pain, fever greater than 38 degrees Celsius or painful water, plus in many cases there are no symptoms, as the virus can stay asleep for a long time, so the best way to confirm the infection is to make a medical diagnosis.
Diagnosis is made by a blood test for CMV during pregnancy and the result is:
When an infection is suspected in the baby, a sample of amniotic fluid may be taken to assess the presence of the virus, however, according to the Ministry of Health, the baby’s examination should not be performed until after 5 months of pregnancy and 5 months.weeks after infection of the pregnant woman.
See also what IgM and IgG are
Since there is not yet a vaccine to help protect against the virus, it is important that pregnant women follow certain general recommendations to prevent infection, such as:
Children are mainly responsible for the transmission of cytomegalovirus, so the pregnant woman should follow these recommendations throughout pregnancy, especially if working with children.