Is screening for bacteriuria in pregnancy worthwhile?

infection will be differentiated by the absence or presence of virus specific IgG antibody in serum collected early in, or preferably before, pregnancy.The detection of infection in the first trimester, before the initial visit to the antenatal clinic, will remain difficult.The presence of virus specific IgM antibody in serum collected at the first clinic visit will suggest a maternal primary cytomegalovirus infection in the first trimester, but only if the woman lacks virus specific IgG antibody before pregnancy.Such IgM antibody will remain an insensitive marker of recurrent infection in that period of pregnancy.Hence the prospective study recommended by Dr Best will be both complex and expensive, requiring the examination of large numbers of samples of maternal urine for virus excretion.Nevertheless, further accurate knowledge of the pathogenesis of congenital cytomegalovirus infection, required to assess the potential role of vaccination in its prevention, will be obtained only in this way.