Useful Clinical Criteria for Identifying Neonates with Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection at Birth in the Context of an Expanded Targeted Screening Program

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the leading infectious cause of brain defects and neurological dysfunctions, including sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). A targeted screening in neonates failing the hearing screen is currently recommended in Italy according to national guidelines. However, SNHL may not be present at birth; also, congenital CMV (cCMV) may manifest with subtle signs other than SNHL. Therefore, inclusion of additional criteria for cCMV screening appears clinically valuable. Starting January 2021, we have implemented an expanded targeted cCMV screening at our center, with testing in case of maternal CMV infection during pregnancy, inadequate antenatal care, maternal HIV infection or immunosuppression, birthweight and/or head circumference.