Follow-up of pregnant women with active cytomegalovirus infection.

Pregnant women (60) with and without serological evidence of active cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection were followed until delivery to detect the incidence and types of overt congenital CMV infection in neonates in Mosul, Iraq. Infection was diagnosed by the detection of CMV-IgM, using ELISA. CMV-IgM was detected in cord blood samples of six (10%) overtly sick infants (with different congenital malformations) born to mothers with active CMV infection. Central nervous system abnormalities were detected in all six cases (two with microcephaly and four with hydrocephaly). Congenital CMV infection should be suspected in infants born with congenital malformations, especially those of the central nervous system. The detection of a significant number of hydrocephalus cases in our study is notable.