Neonatal CMV Infection in Breast-Fed Preemies

Only 9 of 62 premature infants breast-fed by CMV-positive mothers became infected; long-term outcomes were good.

Although maternal primary cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection frequently causes severe complications in the fetus, the consequences of perinatally acquired CMV infection are still unclear. Most CMV-seropositive mothers shed CMV in their breast milk. Limited studies suggest that infections acquired through breast milk usually remain asymptomatic in full-term infants, but what is the situation with premature infants, who are at greater risk for infection?

To find out, researchers in Italy conducted a prospective longitudinal study involving 80 premature infants (gestational age ≤32 weeks, birth weight <1500 g) at a neonatal ICU. The infants, born to 68 mothers, were fed fresh milk from their own mothers during the first month of life. Fifty-three …

Reviewing Author

Robert S. Baltimore, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsInfectious Diseases in Children

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesMember Committee on Rheumatic Fever, Endocarditis and Kawasaki Disease

Robert S. Baltimore, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsInfectious Diseases in Children

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesMember Committee on Rheumatic Fever, Endocarditis and Kawasaki Disease

Neonatal CMV Infection in Breast-Fed Preemies

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Reviewing Author