Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2026
Use of In vivo Imaging to Monitor the Progression of Experimental Mouse Cytomegalovirus Infection in Neonates
Published on: July 6, 2013
Long-term Outcomes after Postnatal Cytomegalovirus Infection in Low Birthweight Preterm Infants: A Systematic Review
Ashley Stark1, Sarah Cantrell2, Rachel G Greenberg1,3
1From the Department of Pediatrics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC.
Insights
Postnatal cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in preterm infants is linked to increased pulmonary and neurologic issues. Early detection and prevention of CMV in premature babies are crucial for better long-term health outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Neonatalogy
- Infectious Diseases
- Pediatric Neurology
Background:
- Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a common newborn infection, with postnatally acquired CMV (pCMV) posing significant risks to preterm infants.
- While severe illness is rare in term infants, pCMV can cause severe clinical illness in preterm infants, with unknown long-term implications.
- Existing research on long-term outcomes of pCMV in preterm infants is limited and often yields conflicting results.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically assess the long-term health outcomes for low birthweight (LBW) preterm infants following postnatally acquired CMV (pCMV) infection.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive systematic review of multiple databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane, CINAHL, Web of Science) was performed.
- Included studies examined pCMV in preterm or very low birthweight (VLBW) infants with long-term (>1 month) follow-up.
- Excluded were editorials, comments, reviews, and animal-only studies.
Main Results:
- pCMV infection in preterm infants is associated with a higher risk of pulmonary and neurologic complications.
- Infected preterm infants experienced a longer hospital stay compared to uninfected infants.
- Evidence linking pCMV to necrotizing enterocolitis, ophthalmologic, audiologic, or anthropomorphic complications was less conclusive.
Conclusions:
- Preterm infants with pCMV, particularly symptomatic cases, face potential long-term pulmonary and neurodevelopmental morbidity.
- The findings underscore the critical need for pCMV detection and prevention strategies in neonatal intensive care units.
- Further large-scale prospective studies are required to fully elucidate outcomes and evaluate potential treatment benefits.
Background:
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common viral infection seen in newborns. Although postnatally acquired CMV (pCMV) infection rarely results in serious manifestations in term infants, preterm infants can develop severe clinical illness. However, the long-term implications of pCMV infection of preterm infants are unknown. Few robust studies on long-term outcomes of pCMV infection have been performed, and those reported often present conflicting results. Our objective was to assess the long-term outcomes for low birthweight (LBW) preterm infants after pCMV infection.
Methods:
A systematic review of English and non-English articles using MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL, and Web of Science was conducted. Search strategies included a mix of keywords and database-specific subject headings for CMV and LBW infants. Editorials, comments, reviews and animal-only studies were excluded. Case reports, observational, experimental and randomized controlled trials that examined pCMV in preterm or VLBW infants and long-term (>1 month) impact of pCMV were included.
Results:
pCMV infection in preterm infants is associated with increased risk for pulmonary and neurologic complications and increases length of stay. There is less evidence to suggest that pCMV is associated with necrotizing enterocolitis, ophthalmologic, audiologic and anthropomorphic complications in preterm infants.
Conclusions:
Preterm infants with pCMV, especially those with symptomatic infection, may have long-term pulmonary and neurodevelopmental morbidity compared with their pCMV negative counterparts. Our results highlight the importance of pCMV detection and prevention in preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit. Large prospective studies are needed to fully define outcomes and determine if treatment improves outcomes.
