Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 16, 2026

Use of In vivo Imaging to Monitor the Progression of Experimental Mouse Cytomegalovirus Infection in Neonates
Published on: July 6, 2013
Increased risk of cytomegalovirus transmission in utero during late gestation
M Bodéus1, C Hubinont, P Goubau
1Department of Microbiology, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
Objective:
To determine whether the rate of human cytomegalovirus transmission in utero is related to the gestational age at the time of maternal infection.
Methods:
One hundred twenty-three pregnant women followed in our units between 1988 and 1998 were studied retrospectively. Each had developed a primary infection with cytomegalovirus evidenced by a seroconversion, confirmed by specific enzyme immunoassays. Infants were diagnosed by urine culture.
Results:
Regardless of gestational age at the time of maternal cytomegalovirus seroconversion, the mean rate of intrauterine transmission was 57.5%. There was a statistically significant difference between early seroconversion (during the first trimester) and late seroconversion (during the third trimester) (36.0% versus 77.6%; P < .001). The risk of transmission calculated for seroconversion during the second trimester was intermediate (44.9%).
Conclusion:
A statistically significant difference in the rate of intrauterine cytomegalovirus transmission was observed according to the duration of pregnancy at which primary infection occurred. The rate of transmission increased with gestational age.
More Related Videos
05:51Intracerebroventricular and Intravascular Injection of Viral Particles and Fluorescent Microbeads into the Neonatal Brain
Published on: July 24, 2016
05:22Ex vivo Culture of Human Placental Explants for the Study of Viral Transmission Across the Maternal-Fetal Interface
Published on: December 30, 2025
Related Concept Videos
Meiosis vs. Mitosis
Before the start of mitosis and meiosis I, the cell synthesizes DNA, resulting in two homologous copies of each chromosome. DNA synthesis is...
Transcytosis of IgG
IgG molecules from a mother undergo transcytosis starting around 13 weeks of gestation. The amount of IgG transferred and entering the fetal blood circulation increases with...
Teratogenicity
Cytomegalovirus Disease