2335. Newborn Dried Blood Spot for Retrospective Diagnosis of Congenital Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Infection: It’s Time for Universal Screening!

Abstract

Background. The diagnosis of congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infection requires that CMV be detected in a body fluid before 3 weeks of age. After 3 weeks, a diagnosis of cCMV infection is difficult since one cannot differentiate between prenatal, natal, and postnatal CMV acquisition. Infants who refer on the newborn hearing screen often are diagnosed with hearing loss after 3 weeks of age. Our objective was to describe the use of the newborn dried blood spot (DBS) for detection of CMV DNA in infants who are evaluated for sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). Methods. Retrospective review of the electronic health records of infants who were referred to the Neonatal Infectious Disease (NEO-ID) Clinic at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH since 2015 for evaluation of SNHL. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and radiographic data were reviewed. With maternal informed consent, the newborn DBS was obtained from the Ohio Department of Health for detection of CMV DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing as previously described (Boppana et al. JAMA, 2010). Results. Eighteen infants (gestational age [mean +/- SD], 38 +/- 4 weeks; birth weight, 3,094 +/- 705 g) with SNHL were referred by Otolaryngology for evaluation of possible cCMV infection; 17 (94%) had referred on the newborn hearing screen. The 18 infants were first tested for CMV at 151 +/- 124 days of age (mean +/-SD; range, 21-521 days), and 3 (17%) had a positive CMV DBS. Fourteen (78%) of the 18 infants had a positive serum CMV IgG antibody while 5 (63%) of 8 infants had CMV DNA detected in urine by PCR. Of the 3 infants with a positive CMV DBS, 2 were tested for CMV DNA PCR in urine and both were positive. Of the 3 infants, 1 had a negative serum CMV IgG antibody test at 174 days of age but the urine CMV PCR test was positive. In comparison, of 54 infants with cCMV infection confirmed by a positive urine CMV PCR in the first 3 weeks of age, 37 (68%) had a positive CMV DBS. Conclusion. DBS testing for CMV DNA by PCR testing identified a small minority of infants with SNHL and thus confirming congenital infection. However, the overall sensitivity of CMV DBS testing in our cohort was 68%, suggesting that some infants with SNHL due to congenital CMV infection are missed.