Published in: Georgian Medical Journal | Study Protocol | Vol. 1 No. 3 (2026)
Authors: Irina Kokoladze, Natia Kharati, Teona Gogitidze et al.
DOI: 10.66636/gmj.v1.i3.a183
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is one of the most common infections in young children — and one of the most underappreciated causes of neurodevelopmental problems. A new study protocol published in the Georgian Medical Journal outlines a planned investigation into CMV prevalence and its effects on the developing brains of preschool children in the Adjara region of Georgia.
Why CMV Matters for Child Development
While CMV infection in healthy adults is usually mild, infection in young children — particularly congenital CMV (passed from mother to baby before birth) — can cause hearing loss, vision problems, intellectual disability, and other developmental delays. The full burden of CMV-associated neurodevelopmental problems in Georgia is currently unknown.
What the Study Will Do
The research team, led by Irina Kokoladze and colleagues, will assess CMV prevalence among preschool children in Adjara and link infection status to neurodevelopmental outcomes — providing the first systematic data of its kind from this region of Georgia.
Read the Study Protocol
📄 Read the full protocol in the Georgian Medical Journal
🔗 DOI: 10.66636/gmj.v1.i3.a183
📥 Download PDF
Published in: Georgian Medical Journal, Vol. 1 No. 3 (2026) — Surgical Innovation, Paediatrics, and Environmental Health
Open Access · CC BY 4.0 · ISSN 3088-4322
Original publication: Cytomegalovirus prevalence and its association with neurodevelopmental outcomes among preschool children in the Adjara region, Georgia
Published in the Georgian Medical Journal (GMJ) — ISSN 3088-4322 — gmj.ge
Open Access under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
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