Current evidence gaps to support systematic cytomegalovirus screening in pregnancy.

Abstract

The benefits of screening for cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection during pregnancy remain a topic of debate. To date, no randomized trial has compared the impact of screening versus routine management on the prevention of severe sequelae in newborns. Furthermore, it is unclear what actions can be taken in case of a positive screening given that there is limited evidence of effective interventions as no treatments showed significant effect on the frequency of congenital cytomegalovirus infections and, as additional challenge, the window for effective treatment initiation after maternal infection is narrow, estimated to be as short as five weeks. Universal screening of all pregnant women could lead to a high number of false positives. There are also concerns regarding the cost-effectiveness of universal screening and the capacity of healthcare professionals that may struggle to manage the increased workload, and we argue that the conditions for implementing such a programme are not yet met. In this Viewpoint we aim at highlighting these challenges and stimulating the forthcoming discussion on how to fill the gaps before CMV screening in pregnancy could be adopted as a standard practice.