Cytomegalovirus, a virus in the herpes family that infects more than half of adults in their lifetime, is a leading cause of birth defects, even though many pregnant women have never heard of it. It’s usually harmless, but those with impaired immune systems can fall ill, and pregnant women can transfer the virus to their fetuses. About 1 in every 200 babies are infected with the virus in utero. Most of those babies will show no symptoms, but about 10 to 15 percent will have problems, including premature birth, hearing loss, vision problems and developmental delays, Marlene Simons writes for The Post.
