MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (09/09/2025) — A University of Minnesota Medical School research team will launch a first-of-its-kind study of infants born with congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) with a new $3.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.
Congenital CMV is a virus passed to infants in the womb and occurs in about 1 in 200 infants. About 20% of babies with cCMV infection have birth defects or other long-term health problems. However, current knowledge on the full range of neurodevelopmental and intellectual outcomes for affected children is limited.
Through a new study, the research team will study the same group of participants over an extended period of time to understand the development of kids with cCMV. The study will generate a definitive dataset by carefully tracking infants across the first three years of their lives.
“By collecting this data, we will be able to provide Minnesota families with a better understanding of how CMV may impact their newborn’s long term development and inform medical providers on clinical recommendations for surveillance and monitoring,” said Meghan Swanson, PhD, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School and member of the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain.
In 2023, Minnesota became the first state to screen all newborns for cCMV. Research by Mark Schleiss, MD, and his team at the University of Minnesota Medical School was a catalyst in bringing this idea to hospitals across the state. As a result, scientists now have the means to study 200 infants over time who are identified as having asymptomatic cCMV identified through newborn screening, using gold standard tests of cognition, language, executive function and MRI.
“The adoption of the bill, coupled with the opening of the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, opened the door to this new NIH grant, which has now created this exciting opportunity to carry out research that will enhance our understanding of how this virus affects newborns,” said Dr. Schleiss, who is also a pediatrician with M Health Fairview.
The study is underway and slated to run through July of 2030. For updates on the status of the study, please contact CMV@umn.edu.
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About the University of Minnesota Medical School
The University of Minnesota Medical School is at the forefront of learning and discovery, transforming medical care and educating the next generation of physicians. Our graduates and faculty produce high-impact biomedical research and advance the practice of medicine. We acknowledge that the U of M Medical School is located on traditional, ancestral and contemporary lands of the Dakota and the Ojibwe, and scores of other Indigenous people, and we affirm our commitment to tribal communities and their sovereignty as we seek to improve and strengthen our relations with tribal nations. Learn more at med.umn.edu.
About the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain
The Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain is a one-stop clinic, research, and outreach location specializing in children and youth with neurobehavioral conditions. By bringing together University of Minnesota experts in pediatric medicine, research, policy and community supports to understand, prevent, diagnose, and treat neurodevelopmental disorders in early childhood and adolescence, MIDB advances brain health from the earliest stages of development across the lifespan, supporting each person’s journey as a valued community member. Learn more at midb.umn.edu.