Queensland Researchers To Urge Government To Ban Preggy Mum From Kissing; CMV Can Cause Blindness Or Mental Disorder

Perils afflicting pregnant women are not overrated. The risks are not theirs alone. Even the life conceived in their wombs is equally threatened. Queensland Institute of Medical Research will hold a conference next week to raise awareness and outline a few guidelines which will be proposed to the government.

Health professionals, such as Rajiv Khanna, are therefore urging pregnant women to resist the urge of kissing on the mouth of their better half and, most importantly, their babies. Restraint must even be extended on sharing cutlery.

A virus that medical professionals are seeking to slow down its spread and which could render the unborn suffering from defects is cytomegalovirus, or CMV, from herpes family. CMV is a viral disease that is very common due to how easy it can spread — unprotected sexual intercourse and saliva contact.

Symptoms of CMV are similar to ordinary flu. And once the foetus has contracted the virus, it is exposed to more serious complications, including deafness, blindness and intellectual disability. Approximately 50 percent of the population carries the virus, and one out of 10 babies may suffer from lasting problems.

The State of Government of Victoria published a blue book on CMV and reported that the virus is the most significant cause of congenital viral infections in Australia. Infants infected from the virus through their mothers can either have generalised infection with symptoms such as liver or spleen enlargement to fatal illness, or without symptoms at birth but will eventually suffer mental, hearing or coordination problems.

Melbourne-based Flourish Paediatrics released a study on congenital CMV and concluded that Australia’s prevalence rate is 54 percent and the most severely “affected are those who are infected between 4-22 weeks gestation.”

Khanna, the organiser for the conference, explains that congenital CMV is more widespread compared with cystic fibrosis and Down syndrome. In fact, among children, it is the chief cause of deafness next to genetics.

What aggravates the medical problem once a mother passes the CMV onto the unborn baby is the sad fact that there is no cure, treatment or vaccine for it. Khanna was even amazed on the lack of awareness on CMV. Many mothers are oblivious they were infected with CMV until they give birth.

The medical professional dissuades pregnant women from ignoring even a simple cold or flu. They should visit their general physician and take the test for CMV.

For comments or feedback on the article, contact the writer at kizmet@ymail.com.