A " Preventable " Disease !

Most women would be very worried if told that there was a chance that they could become infected during pregnancy with a disease that may inflict a permanent disability on their new born.   That disability could include hearing and vision loss, developmental delays,  intercranial calcification,  Microcephaly - which results in a small head and brain - cerebral palsy and epilepsy.   In a small number of cases this disease can be fatal.

The name of that disease is cytomegalovirus but it is commonly referred to as " CMV ".  Just as strangely, the International guidelines do not recommend routinely warning women about CMV on the grounds that it would unduly worry patients - and there is no vaccine.

What is frightening is that each year over two thousand babies are born in Australia with CMV and roughly 380 of these will go on to have a permanent disability.   There are clear guidelines to follow for those who adhere to the usual precautions during pregnancy of avoiding the use of alcohol, giving up smoking and following a careful regimen of diet and exercise.

What women need to do to avoid becoming infected with CMV - is to avoid contact with children during their pregnancy.    The statistics tell a grim story.   I is likely that that two percent of pregnant women will contract CMV and of those one in three have a chance of passing on CMV to their unborn child.   Fifteen percent of those children will develop a disability before their fifth birthday.

Sadly, the reservoir from which CMV is drawn - is the general community of children and this is passed amongst them by their time at childcare - and later at school.   There is a very good chance that the existing children in most families already carry the CMV virus and this can be passed to their pregnant mother by the exchange of body fluids.

The precautions that need to be taken are frightening.  No more " wet " sloppy kisses between mother and child - or child and mother - and how do you prevent that ?   No more sharing of food, bowls and utensils.   How many mothers get a reluctant child to eat by showing baby how good it tastes by example ?   Avoidance of the use of " dummies " and an end of co-sleeping in the same bed - and most importantly - the wearing of gloves during all nappy changes.

That sounds an almost impossible infection reduction routine and yet it is something that those intending a pregnancy need to ponder.   In particular, it is of high importance to the huge number of young women who work in the childcare industry and are in contact with children on a daily basis.    Those contemplating starting a family might be well advised to return to academia and earn further credits until their pregnancy has a happy outcome.

For the average person the warning is clear. Be aware and take reasonable precautions, and increase the hand washing routine to avoid infection.  At best, for existing families it is better to adopt a " low risk " if a " no risk "is impossible.  Just part of the odds of living in an interconnected world !