Objective   To explore the relationship between the vertical transmission and congenital and perinatal infection of human cytomegalovirus(HCMV)and the effects of HCMV infection on early development of infants.

  Methods   Serum HCMV-IgM and HCMV-DNA were detected in 74 infants born to HCMV actively infected pregnant women and 50 infants born to HCMV inactively infected pregnant women by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)and polymerase reaction(PCR).HCMV infected infants were followed up regularly to 6 months old.

  Results   The incidence of congenital and perinatal infection in theinfants born to HCMV actively infected pregnant women(36.49% and 45.95%, respectively)were significantly higher than that of the inactively-infected(P < 0.005).Of the infants born to HCMV actively infected pregnant women, the incidence of symptomatic infection, nerve system abnormities, congenital malformations and generalized infection of congenital infected infants was significantly higher than that of the perinatal infected(P < 0.05).The recovery of liver function, the darkening of HCMV HCMV-IgM and/or HCMV-DNA and the prognosis of short term follow-up in the congenital infected group were worse than those in the perinatal infected group(P < 0.05).

  Conclusion   HCMV active infection during pregnancy is significantly correlated with congenital and perinatal infection1HCMV congenital infected infants have more serious symptoms, worse prognosis and higher mortality than perinatal infected ones.Supervision about HCMV active infection during pregnancy should be strengthened in order to prevent and intercept the congenital infection in time.