Subclinical Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection and Hearing Impairment

Abstract

The hearing sensitivity of children with subclinical congenital cytomegalovirus infection was evaluated and compared with that of a group of matched control subjects. Nine of the 18 infected subjects had some hearing loss, ranging from slight high-frequency impairments to a severe-to-profound unilateral loss. The findings indicate that subclinical congenital cytomegalovirus must be considered a potential etiological factor in sensorineural hearing impairment.