Key result
Implementation of hygiene-based interventions during pregnancy may prevent the acquisition of congenital HCMV to some extent, though current evidence is limited and of low quality.
Why the study?
Human Cytomegalovirus causes important sequelae with no vaccine or antiviral treatments available, restricting interventions to behavioral measures.
Do hygiene-based measures prevent the acquisition of congenital HCMV in pregnant women?
Systematic Review (n=10,197)
Do hygiene-based measures prevent the acquisition of congenital HCMV in pregnant women?
Hygiene-based interventions may help prevent congenital HCMV acquisition during pregnancy, but current evidence is of low quality and requires confirmation through high-quality RCTs.
BACKGROUND: Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the most frequent congenital infection worldwide causing important sequelae. However, no vaccine or antiviral treatments are currently available, thus interventions are restricted to behavioral measures. The aim of this systematic review was to assess evidence from available intervention studies using hygiene-based measures to prevent HCMV infection during pregnancy. METHODS: Studies published from 1972 to 2023 were searched in Medline, PsycInfo, and Clinical Trials (PROSPERO, CRD42022344840) according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Methodological quality was assessed by two authors, using ROBE-2 and MINORS. RESULTS: After reviewing 6 selected articles, the outcome analysis suggested that implementation of hygiene-based interventions during pregnancy prevent, to some extent, the acquisition of congenital HCMV. CONCLUSIONS: However, these conclusions are based on limited and low-quality evidence available from few studies using this type of intervention in clinical practice. Thus, it would be necessary to perform effective and homogeneous intervention studies using hygiene-based measures, evaluated in high-quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
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Muñoz et al. (2024) conducted a systematic review in Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection (n=10,197). Hygiene-based measures and counselling vs. Standard treatment or basic information was evaluated on HCMV seroconversion rates. Implementation of hygiene-based interventions during pregnancy may prevent the acquisition of congenital HCMV to some extent, though current evidence is limited and of low quality.
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