title: Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and hearing deficit.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The association between congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) was first described in 1964. Studies over the past four decades have further described the relationship between congenital CMV infection and SNHL in children.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This manuscript will review the current knowledge of CMV-related SNHL and summarize the studies completed at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).
  
  
  METHODS
  A review of the series of studies at UAB that has led to a more detailed characterization of hearing loss due to congenital CMV infection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Approximately, 22%-65% of symptomatic and 6%-23% of asymptomatic children will have hearing loss following congenital CMV infection. CMV-related SNHL may be present at birth or occur later in childhood. Variability in the severity of CMV-related hearing loss ranges from unilateral high frequency losses to profound bilateral losses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Congenital CMV infection significantly contributes to SNHL in many infant populations. Although, most children with congenital CMV infection do not develop hearing loss, it is difficult to predict which children with congenital CMV infection will develop hearing loss and, among those who do develop loss, whether or not the loss will continue to deteriorate.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatrics, Epidemiology and Maternal and Child Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA. kfowler@uab.edu
authors.forename: Karen B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Fowler
authors.forename: Suresh B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Boppana
mesh_terms: D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000151:congenital / Q000453:epidemiology; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans