Estimated Cost-effectiveness of Newborn Screening for Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection in China Using a Markov Model

Key Points Question What strategies are most cost-effective for preventing and mitigating congenital cytomegalovirus infection (cCMVi) and associated hearing loss in China? Findings In this modeling study, targeted and universal newborn cCMVi screening was associated with a reduction in the number of cases of childhood hearing loss by 820 (597-1193) and 2316 (1655-3308) each year, respectively. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratios of targeted and universal screening vs no screening were $79 and $2087 per quality-adjusted life-year gained, respectively, at the discounted rate of 3.5%. Meaning The findings suggest that universal cCMVi screening could be considered a cost-effective extension of existing newborn screening programs in the setting of the Chinese health care system.