{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,23]],"date-time":"2026-06-23T12:02:37Z","timestamp":1782216157315,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,24]],"date-time":"2025-04-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1745452800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JPM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Asymptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus (acCMV) infections represent 85\u201390% of all congenital CMV infection. The incidence of late-onset sequelae in these cases significantly contribute to the burden of CMV disease. The timing of maternal infection (TMI) has been identified as the main predictor of late-onset sequelae in acCMV infants, and follow-up programs in Europe are currently calibrated according to the TMI. Our aim was to evaluate neonatal viremia as a possible predictor of the TMI in acCMV infections. Methods: Plasma viral loads (PVLs) were assessed in the first month of life in a population of acCMV-infected newborns delivered by women who suffer a primary CMV infection during pregnancy. TMI was assigned to a trimester of pregnancy according to the maternal serological screening. PVLs were evaluated in relation to the TMI and gestational age (GA) at birth. Results: One hundred and ten newborns were, respectively, assigned to preconceptional (6.4%), 1st (27.3%), 2nd (38.2%), and 3rd (28.2%) trimester infections. Median neonatal PVLs values were significantly different between groups (p &lt; 0.001). First-trimester infections exhibited significantly higher PVLs when compared with third-trimester ones (p &lt; 0.001). Overall, PVLs showed an inverse correlation with GA at birth (p = 0.003). Conclusions: Median neonatal PVLs are significantly higher in 1st trimester infections if compared with 3rd trimester ones, but a wide overlap between PVL values prevent their possible use as a predictor of the TMI. In our population, a significant inverse relationship, mainly dependent on 1st and 2nd trimester infections, is demonstrated between PVLs and GA. Overall, fetal viremia is already decreasing weeks before the term of pregnancy.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jpm15050165","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,24]],"date-time":"2025-04-24T04:04:50Z","timestamp":1745467490000},"page":"165","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Is Neonatal Viremia a Possible Predictor of the Timing of Maternal Infection in Asymptomatic Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection? A Retrospective Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2513-9899","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fabio","family":"Natale","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Maternal and Child Health, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2481-0692","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giovanni","family":"Boscarino","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Maternal and Child Health, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Giuseppina","family":"Liuzzi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Institute for Infectious Diseases \u2018Lazzaro Spallanzani\u2019 (IRCCS), 00149 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fabrizia","family":"Bonci","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Neonatology Unit, Sant\u2019Eugenio Hospital, 00144 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7562-9274","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giuseppe Maria","family":"Albanese","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sense Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Raffaella","family":"Cellitti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Maternal and Child Health, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0427-5613","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Antonella","family":"Giancotti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Maternal and Child Health, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Francesco","family":"Franco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Lazio Regional Health Authority, 00145 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6761-6075","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Barbara","family":"Caravale","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rosaria","family":"Turchetta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sense Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6400-9168","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ombretta","family":"Turriziani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Molecular Medicine, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maria Giulia","family":"Conti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Maternal and Child Health, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3541-2876","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gianluca","family":"Terrin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Maternal and Child Health, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"330","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ajog.2020.02.018","article-title":"Cytomegalovirus infection during pregnancy: State of the science","volume":"223","author":"Foulon","year":"2020","journal-title":"Am. 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