Congenital Cytomegalovirus: The Time for a Unified Approach Is Now

Abstract

Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV), the most common congenital infection in the United States, presents unique challenges to clinicians and families.Clinicians struggle to diagnose newborns in the first 21 days of life, when most newborns with cCMV are asymptomatic or have subtle findings that are easily missed.Lack of consensus on optimal screening and testing strategies further complicates early identification of newborns with cCMV and may lead to diagnostic journeys for families.Both families and clinicians face uncertainty about prognosis.Most children with cCMV remain asymptomatic, but cCMV can lead to progressive sensorineural hearing loss, developmental delays, and significant neurodevelopmental disability.Although cCMV has been recognized for decades, growing parental advocacy, increasing public awareness, and advances in dried blood spot testing have renewed interest in identifying optimal screening strategies.The articles in this issue contribute important evidence to this evolving discussion and highlight the needs of families and clinicians for a unified approach to cCMV.