X-ray and CMV exposure in NICU during pregnancy?

[CapeMaui]

Hello all,

I'm a new nurse to the NICU and I love every minute I spend with the babies! I feel very fortunate to be workinging exactly where I have always wanted! :)

So, I've been working at my unit for about 5 months now, during which, I've taken care of babies who are CMV+ (following universal precaution of course!) and have also inadvertenly got exposed to radiation when some of the technicians fail to annouce "xrays" before they click that clicker of theirs.... Since I'm not pregnant at the moment, I've not had any issue with the above....

However, now that my husband and I have decided to start a family, I'm very worried about any "accidental" radiation or CMV exposure. Has anyone run into this issue working in the NICU? Any suggestions? Should I tell my managers as soon as I find out that I'm pregnant to help avoid these situations? How early did you tell your managers that you were preg?

Also, I'm working nights, has anyone had any difficulties getting pregnant working nights? And once you are pregnant, any difficulties with the pregnancy? I've heard/read that working nights can increase the risk of preterm labor/delivery.... is this true?

If anyone has been through a pregnancy while working nights, how did you deal with the exhaustions? Any tips on keeping healthy?

Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[Gompers, BSN, RN]

Gompers, You're right, I'm sorry, that was a dumb assumption on my part... I work in a big city hospital and we do see a lot of babies born to Moms who used drugs or live in shelters, etc. I've only had 2 babies with CMV+ and a couple with r/o CMV, but other nurses have told me that they have had quite a few. That's why I thought prob most nurses in the city hospitals would have had exposure and therefore + for the antibody...

I work in a big city, so I take care of a lot of drug babies and stuff like that. Now, we don't routinely test for CMV, so maybe that's why we dont' see it much. It's only when a kid is very septic that we'll do the test. But like I said, they always come back negative anyways. The two kids I'm thinking of were full term and covered with spots from the time we got them.

[CapeMaui]

The 2 kids I had, one was a premie and the other was IUGR, no spots, but very septic though. I think we test the kids when either they're very sick or have a very bad nippling issue (bad coordination). The other R/O CMV/Torch babies were all negative as well, so I'm hoping it's less common than I think.

[Gompers, BSN, RN]

I'm hoping it's less common than I think.

I hope so, too. I am planning on having kids in a couple of years myself...

[Jolie, BSN]

What if the person has an active infection going on? CDC site says that as long as the infection was more than 6 months before preg, the fetus would be safe.... however, what if the person still has an active infection (primary or not)?

I'm sure most nurses working in the NICU or working with children in general are of the 80% with + CMV IgG antibody... there's no way of knowing if there's an active infection since it's asymptomatic in healthy adults... will it affect the fetus when the woman becomes preggo?

If you are very concerned, you can ask your OB to draw antibody titres on you before becoming pregnant. If you have antibodies from a previous (probably asymptommatic) infection, then you probably have little to worry about during pregnancy.

We did have a fairly high number of CMV+ kiddos in the unit where I used to work, and one of our nurses came down with it. She was very ill, with a high fever for a few weeks. Fortunately, childbearing was no where on her radar screen.

[CapeMaui]

Thanks Jolie, that's a great idea, I was also just thinking that myself. :)

I think since we're going to start trying very soon, I will go to my OB for a blood test. I'm sure she'll let me know if I'm all clear or what I need to do.

Thanks again everyone, for your input! :)