Quarantined with Toddlers? COVID-19 is not the only virus to be aware of

Quarantined with Toddlers? COVID-19 is not the only virus to be aware of

With most states under specific quarantine directives, many are staying home managing young children and their individual needs, loads of school work, a mountain of household tasks, professional career demands and the emotional or physical strain of caring for loved ones during this time of great uncertainty. 

While we all must do our part to #flattenthecurve, we want to remind women of childbearing age that if you are pregnant, or plan to become pregnant, be sure to practice preventative measures at home to limit exposure to cytomegalovirus, or CMV, the most infectious cause of birth defects in the United States.

Much like the coronavirus, CMV can be a "silent virus". Transmission of CMV is very rare through casual contact and is typically spread from one person to another through prolonged contact with bodily fluids, including saliva, urine and tears. CMV is common among healthy children and nearly one in three children have already acquired CMV by five years of age. CMV is not generally harmful to these children and most do not exhibit signs or symptoms.

If CMV acquisition happens during pregnancy, there is a risk of transplacental transmission to the fetus. One in every two hundred babies are born with congenital CMV and outcomes vary from asymptomatic to a broad range of permanent disabilities including hearing loss, vision loss, cerebral palsy, microcephaly, epilepsy, cognitive and developmental delays, feeding or sensory issues, behavioral disorders, etc. CMV is common, serious, and preventable.

Ask your doctor about CMV. And thank you to Dr. Kathleen Muldoon, Chair of our Scientific Advisory Committee, for creating this video.