[Cytomegalovirus: is there a place for screening during pregnancy?].

The maternal and fetal/congenital infection by cytomegalovirus (CMV) during pregnancy is the leading infectious cause of neurologic impairment and hearing loss. CMV screening during pregnancy has been widely discussed for several years, but still no consensus has been established. Most developed countries do not recommend it because the majority of infected fetuses will be free of any symptom, and there is currently no reliable knowledge about fetal and neonatal prognosis and also due to lack of valid, effective and safe treatment during fetal life. The aims of this review are to discuss the physiopathology of maternal and fetal infection by CMV, the diagnosis and possible treatments, as well as to determine the usefulness of a systematic screening during pregnancy.