Blog

Advocating for Newborn CMV Screening through Hospital-Based Initiatives

Author: Maggie Kettler, AuD CMV newborn screening has increased tremendously in the past decade, with many states implementing the screening through legislative efforts. However, CMV screening legislation is not a realistic avenue in all states. In this blog post, we hear from Maggie Kettler, AuD, who has helped to lead successful efforts to increase CMV newborn screening in her home state of Ohio. In this post she discusses successes, challenges, and advice she has for advocates in other states. 

How Doctors Can Support a Mom Whose Child is Diagnosed with Congenital CMV

Author: Lisa Saunders Lisa Saunders is the mother of Elizabeth, who was born severely impacted by congenital CMV in 1989 and died in 2006. Although Lisa was a licensed, in-home childcare provider, a church nursery volunteer and the mother of a toddler, she was unaware of CMV and her increased risk. Lisa helped pass CMV legislation in both Connecticut and New York, and was the recipient of the National CMV Foundation Spirit of Advocacy Award in 2023. In this blog post, Lisa discusses ways doctors can help support moms whose children are diagnosed with cCMV.

Volunteer Spotlight: Kathleen Smith

Meet Kathleen Smith! She was born with cCMV and is our CMV Community Alliance (CCA) Co-Chair for Minnesota.

National CMV Foundation 10-Year Anniversary

Our co-founders honor and reflect on the 10-year anniversary of the National CMV Foundation.

Volunteer Spotlight: Megan Becker

Meet Megan Becker, our CMV Community Alliance (CCA) Co-Chair for Virginia!

Volunteer Spotlight: Gavin Murray

Meet our CMV Community Alliance Chair for Utah, Gavin Murray. 

Volunteer Spotlight: Haley Childs

Meet Haley Childs, CMV Community Alliance Co-Chair for Michigan. 

Volunteer Spotlight: Kara Russell

Meet Kara Russell, our CMV Community Alliance Co-Chair for New York.

Volunteer Spotlight: Patty Cutshall-Bailey

Meet our Community Alliance Chair from Montana, Patty Cutshall-Bailey. Patty is an Empowering Caregiver Coach offering personalized one-on-one coaching to help caregivers find joy and balance in their hectic lives.  She earned her Bachelor of Science in Management and HR Management in 2004, and a master’s degree in management with a concentration in Organizational Psychology and Development in 2007. Currently, she resides in Montana with her husband and four dogs and enjoys traveling to see her children and grandchildren. Aside from writing books and coaching, she enjoys running, camping, hiking, and reading.

CCMV Public Health and Policy Conference Series: CCMV and Autism Spectrum Disorder

Author: Dr. Megan Pesch In October of 2023, researchers, clinicians, and families from around the world gathered in Salt Lake City, Utah for the Congenital CMV Public Health and Policy Conference. It was an exciting three-and-a-half days-- jam-packed with presentations about the latest clinical practices and research findings, as well as congenital CMV families sharing their experiences and lessons learned from their own journeys. This series highlights some of the presenters and their work featured at the conference, to share with our NCMVF community. In this installment, we learn about the relationship between congenital CMV and Autism Spectrum Disorder.