Congenital CMV: Raising Awareness to Prevent Hearing Loss in Children
Approximately one in 200 babies are born with congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV), making it the most common nongenetic cause of hearing loss in childhood, yet awareness among parents remains surprisingly low. This was the central message from a presentation at the Infectious Diseases in Children Symposium in New York on November 15-16, 2025, delivered by David W. Kimberlin, MD, a professor and co-director of the division of pediatric infectious diseases at University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Dr. Kimberlin emphasized the critical need for increased screening and education surrounding CMV, notably as many parents are unaware of the virus until their child receives a diagnosis. “Most of the time when a baby is diagnosed with CMV, the parents say, ‘I had no idea what that was,’ and that is something we need to be doing a better job with,” he stated.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and prevention (CDC), roughly 20% of congenital CMV infections result in birth defects or long-term health problems. While parent advocacy groups have made strides in boosting screening rates, Dr. Kimberlin underscored the importance of pediatricians proactively raising awareness among expectant and new parents.
The presentation also covered the nuances of CMV screening and treatment options, including an assessment of different testing methodologies.Further research and data visualization regarding the efficacy of these testing methods would be beneficial for clinicians.
For more information, Dr. Kimberlin can be reached at [email protected].
Source: Kimberlin DW. Detection and treatment of congenital cytomegalovirus infections.Presented at: Infectious Diseases in Children Symposium; Nov. 15-16, 2025; New York.
Dr. Kimberlin reported no relevant financial disclosures.
