Health experts in Wisconsin are pushing for expanded screening for a common newborn infection.
UW Health Kids pediatrician Dr. Elizabeth Goetz says cytomegalovirus can pass from expecting moms to the fetus.
“The problem with diagnosing this virus is kind of twofold. #1 most babies don’t have symptoms and #2 we have to catch it in the first 21 days. So we think if we can make an effort to expand screening to those populations that we may have a better chance of identifying babies early,” Goetz said.
In 10% of kids infected with CMV, hearing loss or more serious developmental delays can occur.