Congenital cytomegalovirus, cCMV, is the most common viral infection that newborns can have at birth. Most babies have no symptoms, but “a small percentage of those newborns with no symptoms can go on to have hearing loss,” explained Julie Kessel, MD, associate professor in the Division of Neonatology and Newborn Nursery. Elizabeth Goetz, MD, MPH, professor, also in that division, noted, “It takes a lot of research and protocols to add another test to newborn screening.” Experts within UW Health and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services are working on adding that screening and raising awareness about cCMV.
Read the full story on the UW Health website: “Experts urge expanded screening for the most common newborn infection” was published on June 2, 2025.