CMV infection can pass from mother to baby during pregnancy. Here’s how to prevent it

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Pregnant women are routinely advised to avoid certain soft cheeses and take care when handling cat litter due to the risk of harmful infections.

Far fewer are told not to share food, drinks or utensils with young children, and to wash their hands after changing nappies or wiping noses. Yet these simple precautions can reduce infection from a virus called cytomegalovirus, or CMV.