Cytomegalovirus Infection: Is the Benefit of Cytomegalovirus Immune Globulin for the Newborn Mediated through Improved Placental Health and Function?

Congenital infection with human cyto-megalovirus (CMV) is common and un-derrecognized. In the United States and Europe, estimates regarding the frequency of congenital CMV infection range from 0.5 % to 1 % of all newborns [1]. Although the majority of infants with congenital CMV infection appear healthy at birth, many go on to experience serious neu-rodevelopmental sequelae. These sequelae include cerebral palsy, seizures, micro-cephaly, mental retardation, developmen-tal delay, and sensorineural hearing loss, which may occur, to varying degree, in up to 15 % of all infected infants [2–6]. Th