Pregnant women’s knowledge and behaviour to prevent cytomegalovirus infection: an observational study
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Flaminia Vena
, Valentina D’Ambrosio
Abstract
Objectives
Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infection can negatively affect pregnancy outcomes, but may be prevented by simple precautions. Literature suggests that gynaecologists do not always adequately inform about preventive behaviour and most pregnant women have a low-level knowledge regarding cCMV infection. The aim of this study is to evaluate knowledge and risk behaviours related to cCMV infection in an unselected group of pregnant women.
Methods
An institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted in three Maternal and Fetal Divisions in Rome between November and February 2019 on 296 pregnant women, their knowledge on cCMV was measured using six cytomegalovirus (CMV) related questions.
Results
Out of the 296 respondents, 59.1% had heard, read or seen information about cCMV infection. Regarding the way of transmission, 96/296 (32.4%) correctly recognize children as a potential source of the infection but only 25/296 (8.44%) knew all prevention practices, 28/296 (9.5%) of women reported that they have never performed cCMV test during pregnancy.
Conclusions
The results of this survey show that knowledge on cCMV infection among pregnant women is poor. This highlights the need to improve counselling on all preventive practices for cCMV infection during perinatal care consultation.
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Research funding: None declared.
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Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
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Competing interests: Authors state no conflict of interest.
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Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individuals included in this study.
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Ethical approval: The study was deemed exempt from ethical approval.
References
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© 2020 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Review
- Clinical evaluation of labor: an evidence- and experience-based approach
- Original Articles – Obstetrics
- How fever is defined in COVID-19 publications: a disturbing lack of precision
- Initial review of pregnancy and neonatal outcomes of pregnant women with COVID-19 infection
- Usefulness of COVID-19 screen-and-test approach in pregnant women: an experience from a country with low COVID-19 burden
- Clinical chorioamnionitis at term X: microbiology, clinical signs, placental pathology, and neonatal bacteremia – implications for clinical care
- Cytokine profiling: variation in immune modulation with preterm birth vs. uncomplicated term birth identifies pivotal signals in pathogenesis of preterm birth
- Hyperechoic amniotic membranes in patients with preterm premature rupture of membranes (p-PROM) and pregnancy outcome
- A novel technique for prediction of preterm birth: fetal nasal flow Doppler
- Pregnant women’s knowledge and behaviour to prevent cytomegalovirus infection: an observational study
- Reference intervals and reliability of cavum septi pellucidi volume measurements by three-dimensional ultrasound between 19 and 24 weeks’ gestation
- First-trimester presentation of ultrasound findings in trisomy 13 and validation of multiparameter ultrasound-based risk calculation models to detect trisomy 13 in the late first trimester
- Pre-operative tranexemic acid vs. etamsylate in reducing blood loss during elective cesarean section: randomized controlled trial
- External validation of a prediction model on vaginal birth after caesarean in a The Netherlands: a prospective cohort study
- The influence of race on cervical length in pregnant women in Brazil
- Original Articles – Fetus
- A 24-segment fractional shortening of the fetal heart using FetalHQ
- Original Articles – Neonates
- Antenatal corticosteroids and short-term neonatal outcomes in term and near-term infants of diabetic mothers. Analysis of the Qatar PEARL-peristat registry
- Acute respiratory effect of transpyloric feeding for respiratory exacerbation in preterm infants
- Quality improvement for reducing utilization drift in hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy management
- Letter to the Editor
- Cross transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and obstetric ultrasound
- ‘Getting to zero’ cross transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in obstetric ultrasound during COVID-19 pandemic
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Review
- Clinical evaluation of labor: an evidence- and experience-based approach
- Original Articles – Obstetrics
- How fever is defined in COVID-19 publications: a disturbing lack of precision
- Initial review of pregnancy and neonatal outcomes of pregnant women with COVID-19 infection
- Usefulness of COVID-19 screen-and-test approach in pregnant women: an experience from a country with low COVID-19 burden
- Clinical chorioamnionitis at term X: microbiology, clinical signs, placental pathology, and neonatal bacteremia – implications for clinical care
- Cytokine profiling: variation in immune modulation with preterm birth vs. uncomplicated term birth identifies pivotal signals in pathogenesis of preterm birth
- Hyperechoic amniotic membranes in patients with preterm premature rupture of membranes (p-PROM) and pregnancy outcome
- A novel technique for prediction of preterm birth: fetal nasal flow Doppler
- Pregnant women’s knowledge and behaviour to prevent cytomegalovirus infection: an observational study
- Reference intervals and reliability of cavum septi pellucidi volume measurements by three-dimensional ultrasound between 19 and 24 weeks’ gestation
- First-trimester presentation of ultrasound findings in trisomy 13 and validation of multiparameter ultrasound-based risk calculation models to detect trisomy 13 in the late first trimester
- Pre-operative tranexemic acid vs. etamsylate in reducing blood loss during elective cesarean section: randomized controlled trial
- External validation of a prediction model on vaginal birth after caesarean in a The Netherlands: a prospective cohort study
- The influence of race on cervical length in pregnant women in Brazil
- Original Articles – Fetus
- A 24-segment fractional shortening of the fetal heart using FetalHQ
- Original Articles – Neonates
- Antenatal corticosteroids and short-term neonatal outcomes in term and near-term infants of diabetic mothers. Analysis of the Qatar PEARL-peristat registry
- Acute respiratory effect of transpyloric feeding for respiratory exacerbation in preterm infants
- Quality improvement for reducing utilization drift in hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy management
- Letter to the Editor
- Cross transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and obstetric ultrasound
- ‘Getting to zero’ cross transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in obstetric ultrasound during COVID-19 pandemic