Down Syndrome. Fetal alcohol syndrome. Spina bifida. Most people have heard of these well know congenital conditions, and know at least in a general sense that they have profound and lasting effects on the children born with them as well as their families. Unfortunately, people are much less aware of a congenital infection that is more common that any of these and affects more infants than all three of the conditions listed above. In fact, this congenital infection causes more cases of congenital disease than all of the 29 conditions currently screened for in most American states combined (1; 2), and yet it is not widely known by the general public. Cytomegalovirus, or CMV, is the most common congenital viral infection in developed countries (3; 4), and the leading cause of congenital sensorineural hearing loss and psychomotor retardation (1).

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