Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Screening Information

Information for parents

Department of Audiovestibular Medicine

St Ann's Hospital

Your baby has been referred for further investigations of their hearing after their hearing screen.

One cause of hearing difficulties in some babies is a virus called Cytomegalovirus (CMV).

An audiologist will check for this cause of hearing difficulties today, by taking a mouth swab from your baby and testing it for CMV.

We will also ask you to complete a consent form to release your child's Guthrie card (Blood spot card) to test this for CMV - this contains blood taken from your baby when they were born. This test will only be processed if the saliva test is positive.

Although only a few babies do have hearing problems caused by CMV, there are benefits to early diagnosis.

When a baby is born with cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, it is called congenital CMV. Most babies with congenital CMV never show signs or have health problems. However, some babies have health problems at birth or that develop later.

In the very rare event that your baby has both a hearing problem and CMV, we will refer your baby on to a specialist doctor for further care, testing, and possible treatment.

If you have any further questions about CMV, or your baby's hearing, please speak to your audiologist, health visitor or general practitioner (GP).