CMV or cytomegalovirus is a common virus that is harmless to most people but can be dangerous to unborn babies.

This module has been developed by the charity CMV Action in response to requests from midwives for more information about congenital CMV.  It sets out the facts about CMV and four key areas where midwives can play a role in the forefront of reducing the impact of this virus.

By the end of this module you will:

Understand how CMV can affect babies:

• What CMV is and the symptoms it can cause
• How CMV is spread
• How risks of CMV infection in pregnancy can be reduced

Know what you can do to limit the impact:

• Give advice on reducing risks
• Know how to reduce your own risk if you are planning a pregnancy
• Know what to do if infection in pregnancy is suspected
• Understand what would happen if a newborn baby was diagnosed with CMV

The module contains two videos with maximum run time of 4 minutes.

Study time: 1 hour

Original content: July 2015
Revision date: July 2018