Universal Newborn Screening Finds More Congenital CMV Infections

Blood spot tests identified asymptomatic cases, allowing for early intervention.

Published on Feb. 4, 2026

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A study in New York found that universal screening for congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) in newborns, using dried blood spot analysis, identified more cases of the virus compared to only screening symptomatic infants. The researchers screened over 208,000 newborns and found a 0.1% rate of confirmed congenital CMV, with 24.6% of those cases being symptomatic. The findings highlight the value of universal screening to detect asymptomatic cases and enable early intervention.

Why it matters

Congenital CMV is a leading cause of hearing loss and other neurological disabilities in children, but many cases go undetected without universal screening. This study demonstrates that broader testing can identify more infants with congenital CMV, allowing for potential treatment and supportive care to improve outcomes.

The details

The study analyzed dried blood spot samples collected from over 208,000 newborns in New York state between October 2023 and September 2024. Of those, 529 (0.3%) had positive CMV screen results, and 276 (0.1%) were ultimately diagnosed with congenital CMV after follow-up evaluation. Among the confirmed cases, 68 (24.6%) had symptomatic congenital CMV disease, 197 (71.4%) were asymptomatic, and 11 (4.0%) had isolated hearing loss. An additional 131 (24.8%) infants had likely postnatal CMV infection.

  • The study analyzed newborn blood spot samples collected between October 2, 2023 and September 30, 2024.
  • The mean age at specimen collection was 1 day.

The players

Norma P. Tavakoli, PhD

A virologist at the Wadsworth Center in Albany, New York and the lead author of the study.

Pablo J. Sánchez, MD

A professor of pediatrics at The Ohio State University and the author of an editorial accompanying the study.

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What they’re saying

“[A]lthough clinicians frequently reported that symptomatic newborns were not recognized until after receiving a positive [congenital] cCMV screen, the knowledge of having a positive screen may have heightened scrutiny and increased identification of minor abnormalities.”

— Norma P. Tavakoli, PhD, Virologist (JAMA Network Open)

“A saliva sample obtained with a flocked or polyester swab placed in a liquid medium (eg, viral transport media) should be adapted for large-scale universal screening of newborns as it is easily obtained and has high sensitivity.”

— Pablo J. Sánchez, MD, Professor of Pediatrics (JAMA Network Open)

What’s next

Researchers are exploring the potential for using saliva samples instead of dried blood spots for large-scale universal newborn CMV screening, as saliva collection is easier and may have higher sensitivity.

The takeaway

Universal newborn screening for congenital CMV, even in asymptomatic infants, can identify more cases and enable early intervention to potentially improve outcomes. This highlights the public health importance of efforts to prevent, diagnose, and treat CMV infection in newborns.