To investigate the clinical characteristics, therapy and prognosis of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection of infants.

Clinical data of 85 infants with CMV infection in Shiyan Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital were collected, retrospectively. The clinical features, treatment and prognosis of the disease were analyzed, respectively.

Total of 85 cases of infants, the ages were 9 days to 3 years, among whom, ≤ 6 months accounted for 83.5% (71/85). The rural and urban areas were 78.8% and 21.2%, respectively; and the breast feeding, mixed feeding and artificial feeding were 70.6%, 21.2% and 8.2%, respectively. There were 60 patients (70.6%) diagnosed as pneumonia, 38 cases (44.7%) diagnosed as infant hepatitis. There were 12 cases (14.1%) showed non-jaundice and 26 cases (30.6%) showed jaundice (10 cases with bile stasis type, 1 case with cirrhosis, 2 cases with biliary atresia). There were 9 cases (10.6%) found with myocardial damage; 7 cases (8.2%) with anemia, 7 cases (8.2%) with platelet (PLT) decreased or increased; 6 cases (7.1%) with abnormal brain development, 3 cases (3.5%) with hearing loss. And 46 cases (54.1%) were detected with positive serum CMV-IgM, 35 cases (41.2%) with positive serum CMV DNA (≥ 500 copies/ml), while 62 cases (72.9%) with positive urinary CMV DNA. There were statistical significance in liver function damage, jaundice and pneumonia incidences among different age groups (χ² = 10.17, P = 0.0166; χ² = 10.10, P = 0.0173; χ² = 26.00, P < 0.001), but with no significant difference in anemia, PLT count, myocardial injury, abnormal brain development and hearing loss (all P > 0.05). After treatment, 72 cases recovered, 10 cases quitted therapy and 3 cases died.

The infant with CMV infection mainly occurred among infants with age ≤ 6 months, rural residence and breastfeeding, whose clinical manifestations were diverse, mainly pneumonia and hepatitis. Most infants with CMV infection had significant antiviral effect, and just a few were with poor prognosis or even death.