Background: Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infection is the most common cause of non-genetic sensorineural hearing loss in childhood. Early anti-viral treatment was found to prevent hearing deterioration. However, there is no data on the influence of the anti-viral treatment on children with hearing impairment at birth.
Objective: To investigate the relation between hearing status at birth and hearing improvement/loss on a long term follow-up, after antiviral treatment, in children with hearing impairment at birth due to cCMV.
Methods: Data of all infants with cCMV infection followed in our pediatric clinic between 2005 and 2013 were reviewed. Those with hearing impairment in the neonatal period were treated with 12 months of gan/valganciclovir. All children have hearing studies after at least one year of follow-up.
Results: Any degree of hearing impairment at birth was found in 54 (36.2%) of 149 infants who were diagnosed with symptomatic cCMV. Hearing impairment at birth was found in 77 affected ears and was unilateral in 31 (57.4%) and bilateral in 23 (42.6%). On a long term follow-up 50 (64.9%) ears improved, 22 (28.6%) had no change and 5 (6.5%) deteriorated. Most of the improved ears (38/50=76%) returned to normal hearing. Improvement was most likely to occur in infants with mild or moderate hearing loss and less in severe impairment at birth.
Conclusions: In infants with cCMV and hearing impairment at birth, improvement will occur in most of the affected children/ears. The probability of the hearing improvement is inversely related to the severity of the impairment at birth.
