Periconceptional CMV infection prevention in Portugal: population subgroup study in a tertiary perinatal care center

AbstractCurrently in Portugal, universal screening of pregnant women for Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is not performed. However, it is recommended to screen all women attending preconception care. We aimed to assess women’s attendance to preconception care and if their serologic status regarding CMV was known and/or investigated in that consultation. In this cross-sectional study, we interviewed 240 women admitted to the obstetrical ward of a hospital in the Metropolitan Area of Porto (Portugal) about their adherence to preconception care and collected data regarding their CMV serologic status and its investigation. We found that 71.3% of the women who attended preconception care were not screened for CMV infection. Among primigravida, the screening rate was only of 30.4% (upper limit of CI 95%: 44.8%). There were no statistically significant differences between the private and public sectors of healthcare. We observed attendance to preconception care is high (73.1%). For the population subgroup of the...