Acquisizione dell'infezione da cytomegalovirus in neonati trasfusi nelle prime settimane di vita

Blood transfusion in newborns, particularly preterm ones and those small for gestational age, represents a risk for the transmission of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. Morbidity related to this infection is considerable, especially in the babies of CMV- seronegative mothers transfused with blood from CMV-seropositive donors. The proposed control measures (white blood cell depletion, selection of seronegative donors, use of a single donor per infant) are not applied for varying reasons, in all the situations in which the administration of blood components is required for neonates in critical conditions. In the period 1994-end February 1996 laboratory diagnosis of CMV infection was performed in 25 babies (mean age 3.4 months; range 25 days to 8 months) transfused in the first weeks of life. CMV infection was detected in 22, accompanied by mainly hepatic symptoms (hepatomegaly, jaundice) in 14 cases. Transfusion-related infection could be excluded in 2 of 11 cases based on examination of Guthrie cards collected at birth which revealed congenital infection. Although these data appear fragmentary and the series is small, they indicate that the problem of acquiring CMV infection in neonatal age through transfusions is still far from being completely resolved.