April 2016

New conception recommendations for Zika and CMV

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued new recommendations for women hoping to get pregnant after possible exposure to Zika virus. Most people infected with Zika virus won’t even know that they have the disease because they won’t have symptoms. Like Zika virus, most women who contract cytomegalovirus (CMV) will not experience any symptoms and may not even know that they have been infected. 

Share your CMV story with National CMV

Perhaps no one is able to give greater insight into living with congenital CMV than the parents of children and adults born with CMV. According to the CDC, each year 1 in 150 children is born with CMV and 1 in 750 will experience disability because of CMV. These high statistics reinforce CMV as a public health concern, but we need to show the world our thousands of children. We need to be the visual, vocal, visceral standard bearers of congenital CMV.

CMV Awareness Flyers

Help us raise awareness of CMV--share, post, and print our awareness flyers and help educate pregnant women, practitioners, and the public about CMV. Post and distribute flyers in public meeting places, such as OB/GYN offices, pediatrician offices, family practice offices, daycares, preschools, college health centers--anywhere where at-risk populations congregate, work, or socialize. National CMV awareness flyers are now available in over 30 languages. 

Back to the basics with CMV expert, Dr. Gail Demmler-Harrison

New to the issue of cytomegalovirus? Fancy yourself an expert on all things CMV? Wherever you are in your experience (or lack thereof) with CMV, it's always important to freshen up on the basics from time to time, especially as medical research may develop and policies may change. We recently had the opportunity to catch up with longtime CMV expert and advocate Dr. Gail Demmler-Harrison from Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital. For over 30 years, "Dr. Gail" has become the de facto expert on infant diagnosis of CMV, as well as treatment and development of children born with congenital CMV while spearheading the National Congenital CMV Disease Research Clinic and Registry.