Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and pregnancy-potential for improvements in Australasian maternity health providers’ knowledge

Abstract

Purpose: To assess the knowledge, practice and attitudes of maternity clinicians regarding congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV). It is the most common congenital infection, and well-recognized cause of neurodevelopmental disability and hearing loss. New consensus recommendations state all pregnant women and health-care providers should be educated about congenital CMV infection and preventive measures.

Materials and methods: An email questionnaire was distributed in October 2015 to specialists, diplomates (general practitioners), and trainees of the Royal Australian New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG), and Victorian and New South Wales midwives.

Results: 774 responded: (37.3% specialists, 17.3% diplomates, 16.8% trainees, 28.6% midwives). Clinicians had variable knowledge of fetal sequelae, transmission routes and prevention. Overall, 30.2% felt confident about discussing CMV in pregnancy: less than 10% of midwives (7.4%) and less than half of specialists (47.1%, p < .0001). Only 8.8% of respondents routinely discussed CMV prevention with pregnant women. The majority (69.3%) responded that professional societies should make practice recommendations, and 88% thought more patient information was needed, preferably leaflets.

Conclusions: Australasian maternity clinicians lack confidence and knowledge about congenital CMV. Few (<10%) routinely provide advice on prevention. There is urgent need for clinical guidance and patient information to reduce the burden of disease.

Keywords:

• Congenital
• cytomegalovirus
• health education
• pregnancy
• prevention

Acknowledgements

We thank the following organizations and individuals for their assistance in distributing the survey: the NSW Clinical Midwife Consultants Network, midwifery academics of Victoria (Dr. Michelle Newton), RANZCOG Continuing Professional Development Committee, Mercy Public Hospitals Incorporated (Ms. Megan Burgmann).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

L. Hui is supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council Early Career Fellowship (#1105603) and a Sylvia Charles Viertel Charitable Foundation Clinical Investigatorship. N. Nassar is funded by an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Career Development Fellowship (APP1067066). None of the funders had any involvement in the study design, data collection, data analysis, manuscript preparation or publication decision. The other authors have no funding to report.