CMV, or Cytomegalovirus, is a common virus that can infect people of all ages. Most healthy adults and children who become infected will have no signs or symptoms and no long term effects from CMV. However, CMV can pose serious problems to unborn babies if a woman catches it during pregnancy . In fact congenital CMV (when the infection is passed from mother to baby across the placenta) is one of the most common non-genetic cause of inner ear hearing loss and a major cause of childhood disability.
Despite this, there is very little awareness of CMV and the facts are often misunderstood. A diagnosis of CMV can be stressful and confusing.