Postnatal CMV infection in extremely premature newborns : a single-center exploratory study

Košiček, Rok (author), Erčulj, Vanja (author), Kornhauser-Cerar, Lilijana (author), Bregant, Lev (author), Petrovec, Miroslav (author), Pokorn, Marko (author), Spirovska, Ana (author), Uršič, Tina (author), Rahne-Potokar, Urška (author), Grosek, Štefan (author)

Background/objectives: The impact of postnatal CMV infection in extremely premature newborns is poorly characterized. We aimed to determine the impact and outcomes of postnatal CMV infection in a population of extremely premature newborns of gestational age of less than 29 weeks hospitalized in the Department of Perinatology, Division of Gynecology, University Medical Center Ljubljana. Methods: We included all extremely premature newborns of gestational age of less than 29 weeks treated in the Department of Perinatology between December 2022 and December 2024. Newborns were screened for CMV infection at set timepoints and congenital infection was excluded with PCR testing. Additional PCR testing for CMV was performed if newborns developed clinical features suspect for postnatal CMV infection. Clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of newborns were noted. Mothers of infected newborns had their CMV serostatus determined. Results: In total, 63 extremely premature newborns were included, and 14 newborns had confirmed postnatal CMV infection. Postnatal CMV infection was associated with hepatosplenomegaly and lower platelet and leukocyte counts compared to controls. We found no association between postnatal CMV infection and other neonatal comorbidities. Conclusions: In our study, postnatal CMV infection was associated with a more severe and prolonged clinical course of extremely premature newborns compared to uninfected controls; however, in multivariable analysis, the association with a prolonged length of stay was no longer statistically significant. The results suggest that preventing postnatal CMV infection in this population is important.

• Language: English
• Keywords: breast milk, extremely premature newborns, leukopenia, postnatal CMV, thrombocytopenia
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: MF - Faculty of Medicine
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: 13 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 13, iss. 5, art. 703
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-185155
• UDC: 616-053.2
• ISSN on article: 2227-9067
• DOI: 10.3390/children13050703
• COBISS.SI-ID: 280392451
• Publication date in RUL: 28.07.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Children
• Shortened title: Children
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2227-9067
• COBISS.SI-ID: 523029017

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: materino mleko, zjemno nedonošeni novorojenčki, levkopenija, postnatalna okužba s CMV, postnatalni citomegalovirus, trombocitopenija