Incidence and Prognosis of Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection, a Retrospective Single-Center Experience, Tehran, Iran

Background: Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) is the most common intrauterine viral infection, affecting up to 2.5% of live births worldwide; it is also the most common non-hereditary cause of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in infants. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the frequency of cCMV and the incidence of sensorineural hearing loss at a large referral hospital in Tehran. Methods: In our cross-sectional study, all infants born between March 2019 and April 2020 (one year) at Mahdiyeh Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital were enrolled in the present study, and their urine samples were collected for CMV PCR in the first 2 days of life. PCR test results divided these infants into two groups, with and without congenital cytomegalovirus infection. For both groups, the otoacoustic emission screening test (OAE) was performed at birth and one month of age; the auditory brain response test (ABR) was then performed for infants with hearing impairment. Results: Urine samples of 859 were collected for cytomegalovirus PCR testing; 70.3% of specimens were from male infants. Neonatal urine samples were tested for the presence of cytomegalovirus by PCR; 847 of the specimens (98.6%) were negative, and 12 (1.4%) were positive for cytomegalovirus, CI: (95%). The prevalence of congenital cytomegalovirus infection was 1.18% in girls and 1.49% in boys, revealing no significant difference between the two groups. All infants with congenital cytomegalovirus infection were full-term, between 38 and 42 weeks of gestational age. The first OAE test was impaired in 4 cases (33%) with congenital cytomegalovirus infection. Conclusions: In our study, congenital CMV infection prevalence was 1.4%. We recommend hearing screening tests (OAE and AABR) be performed for all neonates. If impaired, the infant should also be evaluated for cCMV infection in addition to auditory follow-up. It is recommended that this study be continued in a multicenter manner with a larger number of samples and a longer period to fully evaluate the prevalence of complications in cCMV.