Do you know your IgG from IgM? Your petichae from your sequalae? Given the catastrophic consequences to the neonate of contracting congenital CMV, it is imperative that both health care professionals and families are armed with facts about the virus.

Women want to be told about CMV. Get resources to answer questions, raise awareness and save lives.

”The pregnancy and prevention leaflet has very valuable information, especially for pregnant women.

Education resources for professionals

Get the evidence that could help to save babies lives in less than an hour

Take our e-learning module CMV: A Practical Guide

This short training module has been developed in response to requests from midwives for more information about congenital CMV. It takes about an hour to complete and sets out the facts about CMV and four key areas where midwives can play a role in the forefront of reducing the impact of this virus.

Understand how CMV can affect babies:

  • What CMV is and the symptoms it can cause
  • How CMV is spread
  • How risks of CMV infection in pregnancy can be reduced

Know what you can do to limit the impact:

Give advice on reducing risks

  • Know how to reduce your own risk if you are planning a pregnancy
  • Know what to do if infection in pregnancy is suspected
  • Understand what would happen if a newborn baby was diagnosed with CMV

You can download the pdf version of the module below.  If you are registered with the Royal College of Midwives you can complete it on the RCM i-learn platform.

E-Learning Module (pdf)E-Learning Module (ppt)

Get the 10 minute briefing on antenatal and neonatal care

Busy professionals have asked for clear, practical advice about how to identify CMV infection and what action to take.  This two page guide has been developed with obstetricians, midwives and paediatricians to focus on the essential facts.  It covers:

  • Prevention advice
  • Potential symptoms in a mother
  • Signs of CMV infection in a fetus
  • Action to take in pregnancy if infection is suspected
  • Signs of CMV infection in a newborn
  • Action to take at birth to enable swift diagnosis and treatment

Download below or order your free poster from info@cmvaction.org.uk.

Download Guide

Find the UK Professional Bodies that have issued guidelines covering congenital CMV

No time to wade through the research literature? The following organisations have done it already and set out how CMV should be diagnosed, treated and managed in the UK.

The British Paediatric Allergy Immunity and Infection Group

(sub-committee of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health)

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynacologists

British Assocation of Audiological Physicians

  • Guidelines for investigations into permanent hearing loss in children state that CMV testing should be carried out as soon as possible on suspecting the diagnosis of sensorineural hearing loss.  It also states that a fast and reliable pathway should be developed locally to include the audiologists,  doctors and the testing laboratory in order to facilitate a timely diagnosis of congenital CMV.  As .

UK National Screening Committee

Information resources for families

Our survey work and user testing shows that women want to be told about CMV.  These resources will help you give information about risk reduction in less than 2 minutes.

Women think that this pregnancy and prevention leaflet gives them the information they need. In extensive testing, women fed back that it gives clear advice on the action they can take to reduce their risk of CMV infection.  Professionals feel that it strikes a good balance of giving information about a serious issue without being overly alarmist.

“It is clear and offers sensible information and advice” – GP
“Very valuable information, especially for pregnant women” –  Nurse

For professionals working with babies affected by CMV, receiving a CMV diagnosis can be a bewildering and stressful time for the families that you support.  We provide evidence-based, balanced information that you can feel confident giving them

Our publication CMV in Babies and Children explains the tests and procedures that families may experience following diagnosis, covers all the topics families ask us about and is checked by CMV experts.

We provide printed copies of our publications free of charge to health professionals.  For the full list of publications, please vist our publications and resources page.

You can order them from info@cmvaction.org.uk