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To reduce congenital CMV disease in the U.S., the CDC is focusing on research and programs in two major areas:

1. educational and behavioral interventions for preventing CMV infections in pregnant women and

2. detection of congenital CMV in newborns so that interventions after birth can reduce disability (e.g., early hearing loss detection leading to early speech therapy).

CDC currently conducts research on

• The rate of CMV infection in the U.S. population

• Factors that put a person at risk for CMV infection

• The number of women who acquire new CMV infections during pregnancy

• Women’s knowledge of CMV and prevention of congenital CMV infection

• Healthcare providers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to congenital CMV

• Effective educational messages and interventions for preventing CMV infection in pregnant women

• Laboratory methods for detecting CMV in the spot of blood taken from  newborn babies 

• Surveillance of CMV infection in newborns

• Feasibility and cost benefit of screening newborns for CMV infection