title: Awareness of and behaviors related to child-to-mother transmission of cytomegalovirus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a common cause of hearing loss and intellectual disability. We assessed CMV knowledge and the frequency of women's behaviors that may enable CMV transmission to inform strategies for communicating prevention messages to women.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed survey responses from 4184 participants (2181 women, 2003 men) in the 2010 HealthStyles survey, a national mail survey designed to be similar to the United States population.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only 7% of men and 13% of women had heard of congenital CMV. Women with children under age 19 (n=918) practiced the following risk behaviors at least once per week while their youngest child was still in diapers: kissing on the lips (69%), sharing utensils (42%), sharing cups (37%), and sharing food (62%). Women practiced protective, hand cleansing behaviors most of the time or always after: changing a dirty diaper (95%), changing a wet diaper (85%), or wiping the child's nose (65%), but less commonly after handling the child's toys (26%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Few women are aware of CMV and most regularly practice behaviors that may place them at risk when interacting with young children. Women should be informed of practices that can reduce their risk of CMV infection during pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA. mcannon@cdc.gov
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Cannon
authors.forename: Kyresa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Westbrook
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Levis
authors.forename: Mark R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Schleiss
authors.forename: Rosemary
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thackeray
authors.forename: Robert F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Pass
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D032763:Behavior Control / Q000523:psychology; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000472:pathogenicity; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000523:psychology* / Q000635:transmission; D041381:Diapers, Infant / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006235:Hand Disinfection; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States