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Review
. 2017 Mar;44(1):121-130.
doi: 10.1016/j.clp.2016.11.012. Epub 2016 Dec 27.

Postnatal Cytomegalovirus Infection Through Human Milk in Preterm Infants: Transmission, Clinical Presentation, and Prevention

Klaus Hamprecht  1 , Rangmar Goelz  2
Affiliations
Review

Postnatal Cytomegalovirus Infection Through Human Milk in Preterm Infants: Transmission, Clinical Presentation, and Prevention

Klaus Hamprecht et al. Clin Perinatol. 2017 Mar.

Abstract

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is reactivated in the lactating breast in up to 96% of CMV seropositive mothers. There is a relevant entity of postnatally acquired symptomatic CMV infection and disease of preterm infants through raw breast milk (BM). Actual data support negative influence on long-term cognitive development. Concerning prevention, only heat inactivation eliminates virus infectivity, and short-term heat inactivation is most preservative; this can be applied effectively under routine conditions. Short-term heat inactivation for 5 minutes at 62°C maintains the benefits of feeding BM without the disadvantages of CMV transmission.

Keywords: Cytomegalovirus; Ganciclovir; Lactation; Native breast milk; Short- and long-term outcome; Very low birth weight infants (VLBW); Virus inactivation; Virus reactivation.

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