Abstract
In order to evaluate the risk to very premature infants of acquiring cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection from blood transfusion, a prospective study of 70 babies of 32 weeks gestation or less, who received transfusions of unscreened blood was undertaken. Specimens of cord blood, postnatal maternal blood and babies blood at approximately one month post term were tested by complement fixation test for CMV.IgG antibodies and where indicated by radioimmunoassay for CMV specific IgM. Urine specimens from babies and mothers, taken shortly after delivery and from babies at follow up were cultured by routine methods for CMV. Aliquots of the blood used to transfuse the babies were tested retrospectively for antibodies to CMV. Clinical details, methods of feeding and progress on follow up were recorded. Ten babies acquired CMV infection postnatally. Three babies were thought to have transfusion acquired CMV infection, and one died as a result. No other baby had obvious clinical sequelae. Two infections were definitely not transfusion related, and of the remaining five, one occurred in a baby born to a mother with acute CMV hepatitis and four were probably acquired after discharge from hospital, possibly from infected breast milk. Premature babies are at risk from transfusion acquired CMV infection, but other sources of infection, notably unpasteurised breast milk from seropositive mothers and milk banks should be considered.
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Cr, D., J, W., J, G. et al. Transfusion acquired cytomegalovirus infection in the preterm infant. Pediatr Res 18, 802 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198408000-00067
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198408000-00067