If the baby is infected with cytomegalovirus in pregnancy, it can be born with symptoms such as deafness or mental retardation. In this case, the treatment for cytomegalovirus in the baby can be done with antiviral drugs and the main objective is to avoid deafness.
Cytomegalovirus infection is most common during pregnancy but can also happen during childbirth or after birth if very close people are contaminated.
Symptoms of Cytomegalovirus infection
The baby who has been infected with cytomegalovirus during pregnancy may exhibit the following symptoms:
- Decreased intrauterine growth and development;
- Small red spots on the skin;
- Increased spleen and liver;
- Skin and yellow eyes;
- Little brain growth (microcephaly);
- Calcifications in the brain;
- Low platelet count in the blood;
- Deafness.
The presence of cytomegalovirus in the baby can be discovered by its presence in saliva or urine in the first 3 weeks of life. If the virus is found after the fourth week of life, this indicates that the infection occurred after birth.
Required exams
The baby who has cytomegalovirus should be accompanied by the pediatrician and must perform tests regularly so that any change is soon treated. Some important tests are the hearing test that should be performed at birth and at 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30 and 36 months of life. Following the hearing should be evaluated every 6 months to 6 years of age.
Computed tomography must be performed at birth and if there is any change, the pediatrician may request others, depending on the need for evaluation. Resonance and X-ray are not necessary.
How to treat congenital cytomegalovirus
Treatment of a baby born with cytomegalovirus can be done with the use of antiviral drugs such as Ganciclovir or Valganciclovir and should begin soon after birth.
These drugs should only be used in infants where the infection is confirmed or have symptoms involving the Central Nervous System such as intracranial calcifications, microcephaly, cerebrospinal fluid abnormality, deafness or chorioretinitis.
The treatment time with these medicines is approximately 6 weeks and how they can change several functions in the body it is necessary to perform tests such as hemogram and urine almost daily and the examination of CSF on the first and last day of treatment.
These tests are needed to assess whether you need to decrease the dose or even stop using the medicines.
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