Lives are changed every day by cytomegalovirus (sy toe MEG a low vy rus) or CMV. CMV is a common virus that affects 50 to 80% of people of all ages. It is a member of the herpes virus family and in most people it remains dormant. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that CMV can cause serious disease in people with a weakened immune system. About 1 of every 5 children born with congenital CMV infection has permanent problems such as hearing loss or developmental disabilities. Stop CMV’s mission is to prevent and eliminate congenital CMV and improve lives of all people with CMV. Area Representative for San Antonio is Lori Grant.
In a study by The Journal of Pediatrics Vol. 138, Number 3, CMV is the most common cause of congenital infection in the United States. Children with CMV may have neurologic involvement at birth, but developmental delays are not predictable. The study found no connection between hearing loss and cognitive outcome.
What can be done?
- CMV can be diagnosed in an infant if the virus is detected in his or her urine, saliva, or blood within 2-3 weeks after birth.
- According to the CDC, if your baby is diagnosed with congenital CMV, have their hearing and vision checked regularly. There is some evidence that ganciclovir, an antiviral drug, may prevent hearing loss and developmental outcomes in infants born with symptomatic congenital CMV infection with central nervous system involvement.
- Early intervention such as physical therapy promotes motor function and can alter outcomes.
- Education of clinicians. Springerlink on the abstract Current Treatment Option in Neurology, Volume 10, Number 3 reports the current treatments in utero. Expanded screening of newborns is needed. Download brochures for obstetricians from the CDC at http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/brochures/index.htm.
- Help with personal donations, corporate donations, goods donations, in-kind giving, volunteering, sponsorships or fundraising.
- Read congenital CMV stories at http://www.stopcmv.org/en/stories/
Seven Oaks Women’s Center in San Antonio has helpful information for those wanting more information. The Institute of Medicine has ranked the development of a CMV vaccine as a highest priority because of the lives it would save and the disabilities it would prevent. It may be a number of years before there is a Food and Drug Administration-approved CMV vaccine.
Do you want to stay on top of events for children in San Antonio, and read parenting issues based on child development? Click the subscribe button at the top of the page and receive articles straight to your in-box.
Comments