Transmission of Cytomegalovirus From Mothers to Preterm Infants by Breast Milk

Abstract

The risk of CMV infection in breast-fed premature infants was highest when the mothers shed viable virus in their breast milk. These mothers had high CMV IgG, which may help identify those mother-infant pairs at risk. Inactivation of the virus in milk by freezing may be a way of reducing the transmission of this virus via breast milk.