Hospital Strategy for Newborn Safety and Perinatal Infection Prevention

Published: June 1, 2025

Each June, National Congenital Cytomegalovirus (cCMV) Awareness Month focuses national attention on a leading cause of birth defects and infant hearing loss. Despite its high prevalence—affecting 1 in every 200 babies born in the U.S.—cCMV remains largely underrecognized. Congenital CMV can lead to developmental delays, cerebral palsy, vision loss, microcephaly, and other long-term health challenges. For hospital leaders, this observance presents a strategic opportunity to embed cCMV screening, prevention, and education into perinatal care systems. A 2024 study in Hospital Pediatrics demonstrated how newborn cCMV screening was successfully integrated into EHR alerts and lab workflows for infants who failed initial hearing screenings (PMID:38620231). Public health recommendations support offering saliva-based testing to infants who fail newborn hearing screenings. Yet, fewer than half of states currently mandate universal cCMV screening. Hospitals can step forward to fill this critical gap. Executive teams must prioritize early detection and family education to reduce the burden of undiagnosed cCMV. Elevating this rare but impactful condition signals a broader commitment to maternal and child health safety.

From an operational lens, responding to cCMV requires coordination across obstetrics, neonatology, audiology, and infectious disease teams. Systems like A 2021 quality improvement study in Hospital Pediatrics demonstrated how three health systems integrated real-time EHR alerts for failed hearing screens to initiate timely cCMV testing and follow-up (PMID: 34198229). Hospitals can also implement targeted maternal testing for high-risk pregnancies or symptomatic infants. Laboratory and pediatric pharmacy teams must be prepared to manage confirmatory testing and initiate antiviral treatments like valganciclovir where clinically indicated. Infection control policies should include cCMV-specific training, especially for labor and delivery, NICU, and postpartum units. Environmental safety measures—such as hand hygiene around diapers and saliva—must be emphasized during staff education. Standardized workflows and EMR prompts help ensure screening protocols are consistently followed. Administrators must monitor cCMV screening rates, time to treatment, and follow-up compliance. By integrating cCMV into system-wide infection control planning, hospitals build infrastructure for scalable, replicable pediatric safety models.

Congenital CMV disproportionately affects underserved and racially diverse populations, further amplifying its relevance as a health equity issue. Studies show that Black and Hispanic mothers are at increased risk of primary CMV infection during pregnancy, often due to unrecognized social and environmental risk factors. A 2024 population-based study published in Pathogens found that cCMV prevalence was significantly higher among infants born to Black and Hispanic mothers, particularly those covered by Medicaid—highlighting systemic disparities in prenatall infection risks and outcomes (PMC113605850). Executive leadership must ensure that CMV education materials are culturally tailored, linguistically inclusive, and available to all prenatal patients regardless of payer type. Partnerships with community health workers, WIC programs, and early intervention providers create a wraparound approach to prevention. Quality dashboards should stratify cCMV outcomes by race, language, and socioeconomic status to drive continuous improvement. Ensuring equity in perinatal infection prevention is not just an ethical obligation—it’s a strategic advantage in value-based maternal-child care. Elevating cCMV also invites broader conversations around implicit bias, data-driven accountability, and the future of precision prenatal public health.

Public awareness efforts during June can be powerful accelerators for policy, research, and institutional reform. Hospitals can host virtual town halls, distribute CMV education kits in waiting areas, and engage local media in awareness efforts. In its 2024 report, the committee noted that “Congenital Cytomegalovirus is the most common viral infection infants are born with in the U.S. and the leading non-generic cause of hearing loss.” One in five infected infants may develop serious health complications such as epilepsy, vision impairment, or developmental delays. The committee urged HRSA to expand efforts in prenatal education, universal screening, and timely intervention—including increased access to antiviral treatment and early hearing assessment. Medical leadership can align internal campaigns with national partners such as the National CMV Foundation and CDC CMV Division. Hospitals should also evaluate internal policies to ensure prenatal education on cCMV is standard and reinforced by OB providers. Featuring patient stories in town halls or newsletters helps humanize the urgency of this often-silent virus. Staff participation in CMV Awareness Month also reinforces cross-departmental alignment around shared goals. Administrators can use this month to review perinatal infection metrics and assess readiness for universal screening pilots. Leadership visibility during awareness efforts sets the tone for long-term cultural adoption. Every conversation about cCMV is a step toward reducing lifelong disability—and that begins in June.

As National Congenital Cytomegalovirus Awareness Month unfolds in June 2025, hospital executives have a clear imperative to lead. The moment calls for decisive investment in maternal-fetal infection prevention, backed by operational infrastructure and equity strategy. Senior leaders should establish quarterly reviews of cCMV performance metrics, cross-train OB and NICU staff on early signs, and pursue policy engagement at the state level. Community collaboration, internal education, and universal screening must all be considered pillars of a resilient response. The path to zero missed cCMV cases begins with system accountability. When hospitals lead on rare disease awareness, they model innovation, compassion, and strategic foresight. Prevention must be measurable, education must be institutionalized, and family-centered care must guide every protocol. National awareness months only succeed when hospitals treat them as launchpads—not side campaigns. For newborns and families facing cCMV, leadership today defines the health equity of tomorrow.

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Internal Resources

• National Immunization Month 2025: Executive Leadership in Vaccine Equity and Early Prevention
• World Birth Defects Day 2025: Strategic Preparedness in Pediatric Safety
• Maternal Health Awareness Day 2025: Executive Action on Preventable Harm

External Links

• National CMV Foundation
• CDC – Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Congenital CMV
• Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia – CMV Resources
• Seattle Children’s Hospital – Congenital CMV
• Liberati C, Sturniolo G, Brigadoi G, Cavinato S, Visentin S, Cosmi E, Donà D, Rampon O. Burden of Congenital CMV Infection: A Narrative Review and Implications for Public Health Interventions. Viruses. 2024 Aug 17;16(8):1311. doi: 10.3390/v16081311. PMID: 39205285; PMCID: PMC11360585.
• U.S. House Committee on Appropriations. (2024). Report on Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill, 2024. Retrieved from https://docs.house.gov/meetings/AP/AP00/20240710/117503/HMKP-118-AP00-20240710-SD002.pdf