Overview
Congenital cytomegalovirus is caused when an infected mother passes the virus to the fetus through the placenta. The infant is characteristically born with a rash, a large spleen or liver, jaundice, inflammation of the retina, and a small head.
Review Date 4/14/2021
Updated by: Charles I. Schwartz, MD, FAAP, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, General Pediatrician at PennCare for Kids, Phoenixville, PA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.