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CMV Tests for You and Your Baby
CMV testing during pregnancy
Although it is not currently recommended that all pregnant women be routinely
tested, a blood test can help you know if you have ever been infected with CMV. This test shows
if your body has developed antibodies against CMV by testing for a type of antibody called "IgG antibodies." If you are pregnant and test positive (have CMV
IgG antibodies), your chance of passing the virus to your
unborn baby is small unless your CMV infection occurred in the past few months.
Other CMV tests (IgM or IgG avidity) can help determine whether your infection
is recent, but these tests are not perfect and may not be commercially available.
If you are pregnant and test negative (have no CMV antibodies),
your unborn baby has
a high risk of getting
CMV if you
get infected during
pregnancy. For more
information about risk
of CMV during pregnancy,
please visit the
CMV and pregnancy
page.
If you are pregnant and test negative, you should take extra care to use good
hygiene (see the CDC
Ounce of Prevention site)
when you are around young
children since they often
(10%-40% of the time)
have CMV in their urine
and saliva.
If your doctor determines that you had a new CMV infection during your
pregnancy, this does not mean that your unborn baby is infected. In many cases,
you can be infected with CMV but it will not spread to your
unborn baby. You would need to do more invasive tests, such as amniocentesis, to find out
if your
unborn baby is infected. In most cases, babies born with CMV would develop normally. For these reasons, routine CMV testing during pregnancy
is not recommended. Consult your doctor about CMV testing if you are concerned that you became infected with CMV
during your pregnancy.
CMV testing if you are planning a pregnancy
If you are planning to become pregnant, a CMV blood test can help you know how careful you must be to prevent CMV infection. If you test positive, you will know that there is little chance that your baby will be harmed by CMV. If you test negative, carefully follow the recommendations for preventing CMV infection (www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/cmv/pregnancy.htm) before and during your pregnancy. Either way, it is always a good idea to follow the prevention guidelines because they will
also help you avoid other infections.
CMV testing of your newborn
If you find out that you became infected with CMV for the first time during your pregnancy, you should make sure your baby is tested for CMV as soon as
he/she is born. If you are concerned about congenital CMV for any other reason, you should also talk to your doctor about having your baby tested. This will let you know whether you should think about treating your baby for CMV infection. If your baby tests positive, you should also have
his or her hearing and vision tested regularly. Most CMV-infected babies grow up with normal health, but if your child has delayed hearing or vision problems, early detection can help
his or her development.
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