A mother-of-three has embarked on a campaign to raise awareness of a virus which can have devastating effects on unborn babies.

Lisa Midgley had never heard of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) before the birth of her middle child, Christian, who is now four years old.

He developed jaundice just after his birth at Airedale General Hospital and was transferred to St James’s Hospital in Leeds, as his liver was not working properly.

It was there Christian was diagnosed with congenital CMV. While his liver has now repaired itself and is working normally, the virus has left him with complex disabilities, including profound deafness and autism. Since Christian’s birth, Lisa and her husband Andrew, of Bingley, have discovered the virus is the leading cause of childhood disabilities and causes more mental and physical issues than Down’s syndrome, spina bifida or HIV, and yet most women have never heard of it.

It is spread via bodily fluids and if a woman who was previously uninfected by CMV becomes infected during pregnancy, there is a risk she will pass it on to her unborn child, leading to long-term complications.

Lisa, 36, also mum to six-year-old Eve and two-year-old Fearne, did not even realise she had been ill during her pregnancy with Christian and is angry she was not warned about the risks of CMV.

The network assistant for Northern Gas Networks wants all women who are pregnant, or planning a pregnancy, to know that a simple blood test from a midwife could determine whether they have already come into contact with the virus and if they are immune to it.

If they are not immune, simple extra precautions can be taken to help minimise the risks of infection, such as being extra careful about washing hands regularly using soap and water, avoiding kissing young children on the face and not sharing eating utensils with young children.

Lisa said: “It concerns me just how little information I was given when I was pregnant. I was told about things like Down’s syndrome tests, the dangers of eating raw shellfish and alcohol, but I was never told about the potential dangers of catching a common virus such as this which can have devastating effects on your growing child.”

Christian has benefited from attending the Elizabeth Foundation in Bradford and has had cochlear implants, but Lisa said hardly a week goes by without him having a hospital appointment.

“It is really hard having a child with such complex disabilities,” she added. “I want all women who are thinking about becoming pregnant to know about this virus and how a simple blood test could tell them if they have immunity.”

Lisa is a member of the International CMV group, helping to raise awareness among women about this virus. Anyone wanting to know more about CMV, can visit the Stop CMV webpage at stopcmv.org or cmvsupport.org e-mail: claire.lomax @telegraphandargus.co.uk