The frequency of pregnancy and exposure to cytomegalovirus infections among women with a young child in day care.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of pregnancy and exposure to cytomegalovirus (CMV) among mothers contemplating a possible additional pregnancy and with a child less than 2 years of age in group day care.


METHODS
We performed a prospective observational study that included a demographic questionnaire and serologic and virologic monitoring of mothers and their children in day care.


RESULTS
Of 60 women, 62% were seronegative and 20% had a child shedding CMV. Of the 60 women, 23 women or 38% (95% CI, 0.27-0.51) became pregnant on average 10 months after enrollment. During pregnancy, 8 or 35% (95% CI, 0.19-0.55) of these pregnant women had a child in day care who shed CMV.


CONCLUSIONS
These results illustrate the potential magnitude of the public problem associated with exposure to a silent viral infection during pregnancy. Our data, when extrapolated to the US population, estimate that every 2 years between 31,000 and 168,000 susceptible pregnant women will be exposed to CMV by an infected child.
Department of Pediatrics, Medical of College of Virginia Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA. bmarshall@mcvh-vcu.edu
Beth C
BC
Marshall
Stuart P
SP
Adler
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002656:Child Day Care Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011446:Prospective Studies