National CMV Foundation

At the National CMV Foundation, we work to inform and educate others on specific prevention measures to protect against the risk of CMV infection. Congenital CMV is the most common viral infection that infants are born with in the United States, occurring in about 1 in 150 births. Because CMV is a silent disease – meaning most people who are infected have no signs of symptoms (asymptomatic) – the mother is likely unaware she has CMV during her pregnancy. Statistically, about 30 to 50 percent of women of childbearing age in the US have never been infected with CMV. Of these, about 1 to 4 percent will have their first CMV infection during a pregnancy (primary infection), giving them about a 40 percent of passing the virus to their unborn child. Babies born with CMV may have birth defects and/or experience a vast range of developmental disabilities. The National CMV Foundation’s fundamental goal is to empower women of childbearing age to be advocates for their own health, especially during pregnancy. We encourage women to ask questions and be well informed about their health so that together, we can ultimately stop CMV from infecting unborn babies. A non-profit organization, we are dedicated to promoting awareness, providing access to resources and sharing prevention information to eliminate congenital CMV.