Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection: A Significant Cause of Deafness and Mental Deficiency

The paper surveys the literature that explores the occurrence of hearing loss as a result of congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. CMV, a herpes virus, infects 1% of all newborns. Ninety percent of these infants will develop normally, but the remaining 10% will have neurological damage causing auditory defects and/or mental retardation. Diagnosis is often delayed because the hearing loss can be unilateral or progressive in nature. CMV has been linked to lower IQ scores. One study predicted school failure of CMV-infected children to be 2.7 times greater than that of a matched control group and 8 times greater than random controls. It is recommended that professionals in the field of deafness be familiar with CMV as a significant cause of deafness. Early diagnosis would allow prompt implementation of appropriate services to the child.