Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve the (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of cytomegalovirus in infants and children.

Experts advise that cytomegalovirus (CMV) remains difficult to diagnose because in the majority of cases the baby presents normally at birth.

In 2017, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecology (RCOG) published an update for the treatment of congenital CMV infection, acknowledging that therapeutic options such as antiviral therapy are still being evaluated within the research setting. The RCOG will consider whether the paper needed to be updated.

Departmental officials will be meeting the charity CMV Action next month to discuss their recommendations to prevent, diagnose and intervene.