Attribution of Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection to Primary Versus Non-Primary Maternal Infection

Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a leading cause of developmental disabilities. In the United States during the period 1988-1994, approximately one-quarter of congenital CMV infections were attributable to primary maternal infection (n = 8772), and three-quarters were attributable to non-primary maternal infection (n = 29,918). Effective prevention strategies need to be developed for both primary and non-primary maternal infections.