Ep5. Sharing food with toddlers during pregnancy? What’s the risk when pregnant? The CMV Episode. Expert Guest: Professor Hermione Lyall

Cocooned Health

Sharing food with toddlers during pregnancy? What’s the risk when pregnant?

The CMV Episode

Expert Guest: Professor Lyall

Have you heard of the advice not to kiss your toddlers on the lips whilst pregnant or not share their food? Maybe not, or maybe you have. We talk about the rationale as to why this advice exists, and exactly WHAT the infection is, that the advice is aimed to protect against....
This is particularly important in pregnancy – the virus is called Cytomegalovirus (CMV). Not a catchy name but a catchy virus

Co-hosts Dr Eliz Kilich and Dr Lydia Yarlott,

are joined by special guest Professor Hermione Lyall,

who is a consultant paediatrician in the United Kingdom with special expertise in paediatric infectious diseases and was former chair of the European Congenital Cytomegalovirus CMV Network.

CMV Action Charity: https://cmvaction.org.uk/what-is-cmv/

References to the scientific evidence:

1. CMV and Hearing Loss: Vos, Bénédicte et al. “Cytomegalovirus-A Risk Factor for Childhood Hearing Loss: A Systematic Review.” Ear and hearing 42,6 (2021): 1447-1461. doi:10.1097/AUD.0000000000001055. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33928914/
2. CMV Treatment in Pregnancy: Shahar-Nissan, Keren et al. “Valaciclovir to prevent vertical transmission of cytomegalovirus after maternal primary infection during pregnancy: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.” Lancet (London, England) 396,10253 (2020): 779-785. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31868-7 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32919517/
3. CMV Treatment for Baby After Birth: Kimberlin, David W et al. “Effect of ganciclovir therapy on hearing in symptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus disease involving the central nervous system: a randomized, controlled trial.” The Journal of pediatrics 143,1 (2003): 16-25. doi:10.1016/s0022-3476(03)00192-6 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12915819/
4. Duration of CMV Treatment for Baby After Birth: Kimberlin, David W et al. “Valganciclovir for symptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus disease.” The New England journal of medicine 372,10 (2015): 933-43. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1404599 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25738669/
5. Long Term Impairment from Congenital CMV Infection: Korndewal, Marjolein J et al. “Long-term impairment attributable to congenital cytomegalovirus infection: a retrospective cohort study.” Developmental medicine and child neurology 59,12 (2017): 1261-1268. doi:10.1111/dmcn.13556 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28990181/

ABOUT THE PODCAST

Welcome to Cocooned, part of Cocooned Health podcasting. This is your podcast on infections and vaccines in pregnancy and the newborn period.🤱🤰

We are: Dr Eliz Kilich 👩‍⚕️(Infectious Diseases ST4, UK) and Dr Lydia Yarlott 👩‍⚕️(Paediatrics ST4, UK) here to talk to you about evidence about how you can help keep you and your little one safe.

🎤 We generate podcast episodes with expert guest speakers to discuss the latest evidence, to help you understand the public health guidance, and what things you can do to make this period as protected/ cocooned as possible.🎤

Whilst no information is perfect, it changes, we have done our best to bring together information to the best of our knowledge. Information is always subject to change. The views here are our own and do not represent that of any institution or affiliated body although we do discuss public health guidance in general. It is always important to discuss anything we talk about with your own healthcare provider. This is not direct personal medical advice as you are not our patients however, we want to give the public the information we already have, so you are more informed to make your own choices.