Re: CMV?

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CMV or cytomegalovirus is the most common viral perinatal infectious agent in humans. Most individuals in the US have been exposed and infected to this virus. It is spread by intimate contact with infected secretions (hence qualifies as a sexually transmitted disease), including breast milk, cervical mucus, semen, saliva and urine, or blood transfusion or organ transplant.

CMV has also been called the most common intrauterine infection with .2 to2.2 of all newborns infected inutero (inside the uterus.) Luckily only 1 in 5000 to 1 in 20000 infants suffer from severe complications recognized at birth. Hence, over 99% of babies born with CMV infections appear normal at birth.

Infants who acquire the infection in utero and who have been born to mother who have been previously infected appear to be partially protected by maternal antibodies, but this immunity in not complete, with recognizable symptoms in 1-10%. Infants born to mothers without previous infection have a 10-15% chance of classic CMV infection. Findings like intrauterine growth retardation, microcephally (small head/brains), calcifications in the brain, deafness and blindness, mental retardation, enlarged liver and spleens, and jaundice. 20% of these babies will die. 25% of infants who appear normal at birth will have neurologic defects in mothers whom acquire CMV during pregnancy in any trimester.

>Is it a real, significant risk, to use CMV positive
>sperm (besides the fact that we don't know if my husband has CMV or
>not...if he does, and it is passed through semen, I could have gotten it
>already)?

The above should answer the question. I'd try to stay away from CMV infected semen if you can. If you are exposed, you may get a mononucleosis like syndrome with low grade fever, maiaise, joint pain, enlarged liver and spleen and sometime sore throat and enlarged lymphnodes. Although these symptoms can last 2 weeks to 2 months, most infections are without symptoms.

>How common are CMV related problems in infants?

Again, see above. >
>Any help on this would be greatly appreciated, since I spent most of
>today on Medline looking this up, and it looks like 99% of the studies
>are related to HIV or animals. I am trying to decide whether or not to
>argue with the sperm bank (ie, find out about a waiver or that sort of
>thing) about this.
>
>BTW-Nice new forum :-)

Thanks. Nice to be here.

--
Richard Chudacoff, MD
Baylor College of Medicine
BaylorMedCare
Houston/Sugar Land, TX

Advisory Board-OBGYN.net
http://www.obgyn.net/board/chudacoff.htm

*Note:  Opinions expressed here are for educational purpose only.
This information is not intended to supplant the need for you to
consult with your physician prior to choosing therapeutic options.

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