Increasing awareness and promoting strategies for prevention of congenital cytomegalovirus infection among young pregnant women

OBJECTIVES: Previous data indicate that most women have never heard of congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) and the risk of cCMV's damaging sequelae for their newborns, or how to prevent CMV exposures. The objective of this study is to evaluate whether a cognitive‐behavioral intervention can, 1) increase knowledge about cCMV and 2) decrease self‐reported risk behaviors. METHODS: We recruited 215 young pregnant women (16‐29 years) into a CMV cognitive‐behavioral intervention study following their first prenatal visit and randomized them to either a CMV educational/prevention intervention (PREV) or an attention‐matched control using an educational stress reduction intervention (CONT). Both groups attended an individualized behavioral skills session, watched a short video, received a take home packet, received weekly text messages for 12 weeks to deliver the experimental and control interventions, and attended 6 and 12 week follow up visits. Pre‐and post‐intervention CMV knowledge and CMV risk behaviors were assessed via questionnaires in both groups. RESULTS: Pre‐and post‐intervention assessments were completed for 196 women (91.2%). The cohort was 91% Black, with 75% being CMV seropositive. Only 14.2% (95% CI, 9.7 e 19.8%) of the women had ever heard of cCMVat study enrollment, and their mean (standard deviation) CMV risk behavior score was 5.5 ± 6.1 (possible range 0 e 32). Post‐intervention, the mean correct CMV knowledge (possible scale 0 e 16) was higher in the PREV group compared to the CONT group (11.3 ± 2.2 vs. 8.5 ± 3.7; p<0.0001). Also, post‐intervention, the PREV women reported a lower mean CMV risk behavior score compared to the CONT women (1.7 ± 2.6 vs. 3.4 ± 4.6; p=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Young women lack awareness or accurate knowledge of cCMV and how to protect themselves and their fetuses/infants from CMV infection. This intervention demonstrates that it is possible to raise awareness about cCMV and decrease CMV risk behaviors in young pregnant women.