If the baby becomes infected with cytomegalovirus during pregnancy, he or she may be born with symptoms such as deafness or mental retardation, in this case the treatment of cytomegalovirus in infants can be performed with antiviral drugs and the main goal is to prevent deafness.
Cytomegalovirus infection is more common during pregnancy, but it can also occur during childbirth or after birth if very close people are infected.
A baby who has been infected with cytomegalovirus during pregnancy may have the following symptoms:
The presence of cytomegalovirus in infants can be discovered by its presence in saliva or urine during the first 3 weeks of life, if the virus is detected after the 4th week of life, indicates that contamination occurred after birth.
The baby with cytomegalovirus must be accompanied by a pediatrician and should be monitored regularly so that any changes can be treated immediately. Important tests include the hearing test to be done at birth and 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30. 36 months to live. Hearing should then be evaluated every 6 months for up to 6 years.
CT scans should be done at birth and if there are changes, the pediatrician may request more, depending on the need for evaluation. No MRIs or X-rays are required.
Treatment of the baby born with cytomegalovirus may be done with the use of antiviral medications such as ganciclovir or valganciclovir and should begin shortly after birth.
These medications should only be used in infants with confirmed infection or symptoms affecting the central nervous system, such as intracranial calcifications, microcephaly, changes in cerebrospinal fluid, deafness or chorioretinitis.
Treatment time with these medications is approximately 6 weeks and, as they can alter various bodily functions, tests such as counting blood and urine formulas almost daily and CSF testing on the first and last day of treatment are necessary.
These tests are necessary to evaluate whether it is necessary to decrease the dose or even discontinue the use of medications.