Incidence and clinical manifestations of breast milk-acquired Cytomegalovirus infection in low birth weight infants.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the incidence and clinical manifestations of human breast milk (HMB)-associated acquired cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in small premature infants.


METHODS
A prospective study of premature infants born at or prior to 32 weeks gestation, and or infants weighing 1500 g or less at birth. The babies were divided into two groups: Group 1 included babies of CMV seropositive mothers who received HBM throughout the study period. Group 2 included babies of seronegative mothers or babies that did not receive HBM at all. Urine sample were obtained once weekly from birth until the age of 8 weeks or until discharge and were tested for the presence of CMV-DNA by PCR.


RESULTS
Four of 70 infants from group 1 (5.7%, 95% CI, 0 to 11%) acquired CMV infection between the ages of 3 and 7 weeks as compared to none of 26 babies in group 2. Only one infected baby had severe CMV disease with complete recovery.


CONCLUSIONS
The relative incidence of HBM-associated CMV infection and the severity of HBM-associated CMV disease in premature infants are low.
Miron
Dan
D
Pediatric Infectious Disease Consultation Service, Ha'Emek Medical Center, Afula, Rappaport School of Medicine, Haifa, Israel.
Brosilow
Sharon
S
Felszer
Klari
K
Reich
Dan
D
Halle
David
D
Wachtel
Daniel
D
Eidelman
Arthur I
AI
Schlesinger
Yechiel
Y
D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000009:adverse effects; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000821:virology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011336:Probability; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment