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Transmission of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) through Human Milk

Are New Breastfeeding Policies Required for Preterm Infants?

  • Conference paper
Protecting Infants through Human Milk

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 554))

Abstract

Nine out of ten mothers with positive cytomegalovirus (CMV) serology shed CMV in their milk at some time during lactation. CMV is transmitted readily through human milk. Although the majority of acquired CMV infections cause little or no symptoms, there is an association between CMV infection and severe disease in small premature infants. Pasteurization damages some of the anti-infective properties of untreated human milk but is the only reliable and feasible method to destroy CMV infectivity. The current practice of feeding untreated human milk may require reevaluation for seropositive mothers of very immature infants.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neonatal/Perinatal Medicine, Meriter Hospital, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 6 Center, 202 S. Park Street, Madison, WI, 53715, USA

    Andrea Willeitner

Authors
  1. Andrea Willeitner
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

    Larry K. Pickering MD

  2. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

    Ardythe L. Morrow PhD

  3. Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición, Mexico City, Mexico

    Guillermo M. Ruiz-Palacios MD

  4. Schneider Children’s Hospital at North Shore, Manhasset, New York, USA

    Richard J. Schanler MD

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© 2004 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Willeitner, A. (2004). Transmission of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) through Human Milk. In: Pickering, L.K., Morrow, A.L., Ruiz-Palacios, G.M., Schanler, R.J. (eds) Protecting Infants through Human Milk. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 554. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-4242-8_70

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-4242-8_70

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-3461-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-4242-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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