SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA) – Cytomegalovirus, also known as CMV, is one of the most common types of viruses a human can contract and for healthy adults it is completely harmless.
Spartanburg Regional OBGYN Dr. Ryan Laye said the virus is everywhere, such as on doorknobs and car doors, and catching it is inevitable.
Allison Loosli, mother of four-year-old Alice, said she contracted CMV during her pregnancy.
“Before I was pregnant I didn’t I had never even heard of CMV and I didn’t find out that I had gotten CMV until I was about 34 weeks pregnant,” Loosli said.
Loosli said she went in for her routine OBGYN appointment and her doctor asked how she’d been feeling.
She explained to her doctor that she was feeling fine but she was just getting over a cold.
Those cold symptoms prompted doctors to test her blood for CMV and that’s when the results came back positive.
According to the CDC, this virus is harmless to expecting mothers who had the virus before pregnancy and previously fought it off, but it could cause severe complications to an unborn child when the mother is newly infected while pregnant.
CMV can cause complications for the baby even after birth such as severe brain damage, developmental issues, deafness or blindness.
Laye urged expecting mothers not to panic because the virus is more common than we think.
“It’s really unavoidable. It’s such a common virus. It’s probably all over the doorknob, all over your car, all over your house, and so most people get it in early life,” Laye said
He said if you already have CMV in your blood, the baby will not be affected.
It’s important to know the status of your health. If you’re a worried pregnant mother, request a Cytomegalovirus test at your next appointment.
To learn more about the Cytomegalovirus, visit the CDC Website.
