children s health issues
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Infection in Newborns
Diagnosis of CMV Infection in Newborns
Testing of urine, saliva, or tissue samples Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test using urine, saliva, blood, or tissues To diagnose CMV infection, doctors take samples of the newborn's urine, saliva, or tissues. The samples are sent to a laboratory so the organism causing the infection can be identified. Doctors also do a Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on samples of the newborn's urine, saliva, blood, or tissues. This laboratory technique, which produces many copies of a gene to make the gene easier to detect, can be used to detect the CMV virus in the DNA from the newborn. Other tests are done to look for infection and inflammation and to determine the seriousness of the symptoms. Doctors may do other tests to rule out other infections present at birth that cause symptoms similar to CMV. 