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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, November 2008, p. 3564-3568, Vol. 46, No. 11
0095-1137/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JCM.00757-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Detection of Perinatal Cytomegalovirus Infection and Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Belgian Infants by Measurement of Automated Auditory Brainstem Response{triangledown}

Jannick Verbeeck,1 Erwin Van Kerschaver,2 Elke Wollants,1 Kurt Beuselinck,3 Luc Stappaerts,2 and Marc Van Ranst1*

Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium,1 Kind & Gezin (K&G), Brussels, Belgium,2 Laboratory of Molecular Diagnostics, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium3

Received 21 April 2008/ Returned for modification 1 July 2008/ Accepted 20 August 2008

Since auditory disability causes serious problems in the development of speech and in the total development of a child, it is crucial to diagnose possible hearing impairment as soon as possible after birth. This study evaluates the neonatal hearing screening program in Flanders, Belgium. The auditory ability of 118,438 babies was tested using the automated auditory brainstem response. We selected 194 babies with indicative hearing impairment and 332 matched controls to investigate the association between the presence of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in urine samples and sensorineural hearing loss and to analyze the sensibility and specificity of a cell culture assay and a quantitative PCR detection method. Our results indicate that significantly more babies with confirmed hearing impairment were HCMV positive after birth. Further, based on the results of our study, babies with HCMV viral loads above 4.5 log copies/ml urine seem to be 1.4 times more likely to have confirmed hearing impairment. Our follow-up study suggests that the hearing impairment of children infected with HCMV after birth is less likely to improve than that of HCMV-negative infants. Our results confirm that the presence of HCMV before or shortly after birth influences the outcome of hearing impairment.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Minderbroedersstraat 10, BE-3000 Leuven, Belgium. Phone: 32-16-347908. Fax: 32-16-347900. E-mail: marc.vanranst{at}uz.kuleuven.be

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 3 September 2008.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, November 2008, p. 3564-3568, Vol. 46, No. 11
0095-1137/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JCM.00757-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





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