Re: Feb. 2 news story.
Congratulations for spotlighting CMV (cytomegalovirus), a disease that can ruin the life of a fetus and baby. CMV is as bad as the Zika virus but hasn’t gotten media attention. Annually, 30,000 babies born in the U.S. have CMV, which can lead to microcephaly (small brain), blindness, deafness or infant death. If women get CMV for the first time during the first trimester, chances are 30 to 50 percent the fetus will get CMV.
Amniocentesis at 21 weeks is the only sure way to tell if the fetus has CMV. After getting results and making a very difficult decision, terminating the pregnancy could be a “late abortion” — illegal in many states, and illegal in more if a Trump Supreme Court overturns Roe vs. Wade.
Thank you for urging women who are, or hope to be, pregnant soon, to wash their hands frequently, especially after contacting a toddler’s saliva or urine.
Barbara Holme, Denver
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