Link of autism to congenital cytomegalovirus explored in study

Children born with a common viral infection are nearly 2.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders, a new study finds.

Cytomegalovirus is part of the herpes virus family. It is spread through body fluids such as blood, saliva and urine, and is usually harmless in healthy people. About one-third of infected mothers pass CMV to their fetuses in utero.

About one in every 200 American babies is born with CMV each year. Nearly 20% of those babies will experience birth defects or other long-term health problems, such as hearing or vision loss, developmental delays or epilepsy.

For this study, researchers from the University of Michigan and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed data on nearly 3 million children enrolled in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

Just over 1,000 children had congenital CMV, while nearly 75,000 had ASD. Autism is a developmental disorder that affects how people learn, behave, communicate and interact with others.

Girls born with CMV had 4.65 times the risk of autism, while boys had about twice the risk compared to their peers without the condition.

The study’s findings were published in the June issue of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ journal Pediatrics.

“These data should prompt us as clinicians to proactively monitor for early signs of autism in children with congenital cytomegalovirus,” said lead study author Dr.

“This may be particularly critical for children who are deaf or hard of hearing as diagnosing autism in this population can be particularly challenging,” added Pesch, whose daughter has congenital CMV and autism.

The link between congenital CMV and autism — which is estimated to affect one in 36 American children — has been suggested since the 1980s.

The idea is that CMV can activate an inflammatory state that can affect fetal brain development, thereby increasing the risk of ASD.

Pesch is calling for routine neonatal screening for CMV, which is often asymptomatic in pregnancy and at birth.

“Universal congenital CMV screening could not only improve detection before symptoms develop and lead to more timely intervention, but also help us elucidate the risk of autism in this population,” said Pesch. “Most importantly, it provides an opportunity to better support these children and their families.”