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Screening every NICU infant for congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) detects twice as many cases as hearing-targeted screening alone, a Cleveland Clinic study found. The approach also caught 13 asymptomatic infants who passed their hearing test — cases that would have been missed entirely. The AAP has now endorsed expanded cCMV screening, signaling a likely shift in standard practice.
A Cleveland Clinic study published in Pediatrics found that universally screening all NICU infants for congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) detected 2.5 times more cases than the previous symptom-based approach — and twice as many as hearing-targeted screening alone. The program, which ran from 2022 to 2025, screened 7,491 infants using a simple saliva swab (confirmed by urine test), making sample collection far easier than older urine-only methods.
Of the 34 confirmed cCMV cases, 18 were asymptomatic — and 13 of those had also passed their newborn hearing screening, meaning they would have been completely missed under traditional targeted protocols. The lead researcher noted the program scaled smoothly without disrupting NICU or nursery workflows, thanks to careful cross-departmental planning.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: The AAP simultaneously published a clinical report endorsing expanded cCMV screening — a major development that could prompt hospitals nationwide to adopt universal NICU screening and catch thousands of preventable cases of hearing loss and developmental disability each year.
