Abstract
Summary
A cohort of 100 apparently normal newborn infants was studied five times during the first year of life to determine the incidence of cytomegalovirus infection. Virus was isolated from oropharyngeal or urine specimens at least once from 15 of the infants. Initial isolations were obtained as follows: one infant on hospital day 2, two at one month, nine at 3 months, three at 6 months, and none later. Most children once positive continued to shed the virus. CMV CF antibodies were demonstrated in 8 of 11 virus excretors and none of 39 nonexcretors. One of the 3 excretors without CF antibody had CMV neutralizing antibody and the other 2 had virus isolated only once. Both sets of twins included in the study became infected. Virus isolation was not related to sex, maternal age or parity, breast feeding, or occupation of father. The mean birth weight of babies who subsequently excreted virus (with or without the twins) was significantly lower than that of the nonexcretors. During the follow-up period, the general health and development of the infected infants did not differ from the noninfected infants. Studies of the families of the CMV excretors and matched control families of nonexcreting infants suggested the mothers as the most likely source of the infants'infections.
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